Early complications and outcomes of the current technique of transperitoneal laparoscopic herniorrhaphy and a comparison to the traditional open approach.

We conducted a prospective study to evaluate early complications and complaints of 60 patients who underwent laparoscopic transperitoneal hernia repair at our institution. Average follow-up was 9 months. Patients graded levels and duration of postoperative pain subjectively. Nine patients (15%) had complications of anterior/medial thigh numbness, 4 (6.7%) scrotal swelling, 4 (6.7%) scrotal ecchymosis, 3 (5%) hematoma, 2 (3.3%) prolonged sensation of tightness/pressure, 1 (1.7%) seroma, 1 (1.7%) urinary retention, and 1 (1.7%) pain with intercourse. Twenty-six (43%) had no postoperative complaints. Overall, 57 (95%) stated they were satisfied with their repair and would recommend the laparoscopic technique. Fifty-five patients (92%) returned to basic activities of daily living in less than 2 weeks. Thirty-five (73%) of the 48 patients who were employed returned to work within 3 weeks. In comparison, only 7 (29%) of 24 patients in an open hernia repair group resumed normal activity during the first 2 postoperative weeks, and only 3 (14%) of the 21 employed patients in this group returned to work at 3 weeks. The laparoscopic and traditional open herniorrhaphy methods were compared in terms of operating room time and cost. The average unilateral laparoscopic repair (n = 51) cost $3,094 and lasted 81 minutes. Bilateral laparoscopy procedures (n = 9) averaged $3,774 and 110 minutes. Unilateral traditional hernia repairs (n = 24) had an average cost of $1,990 and duration of 69 minutes. In follow-up ranging from 2 to 28 months, there has been only 1 recurrence to report in the laparoscopic group (1.7%). All patients continue to be followed to determine long-term recurrence risks.