Technology of Single-Incision Laparoscopic Surgery in Treatment of Inguinal Hernia in Small Babies

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was the comparison of single-port and multiport laparoscopic methods for the treatment of inguinal hernia in children during the first 3 months of life.

Subjects and methods: Between January 2002 and December 2012, we performed 260 laparoscopic operations in neonates and infants with the diagnosis of inguinal hernia. Surgical procedures were single-port endoscopic herniorraphy (Group I; 180 patients) and multiport laparoscopic herniorraphy (Group II; 80 patients). The two groups were compared for demographics of patients, operative report, and early and late postoperative outcomes.

Results: We applied the single-port laparoscopic method for correction of inguinal hernia in small babies. The mean operative time (duration of one-sided and bilateral repair) in Group I was 16 minutes, whereas the mean duration of the operation in Group II was 15.73 minutes. The number of doses of postoperative analgesia was 1.19 and 1.22, respectively. The length of hospital stay was 8.12 hours in Group I and 8.27 hours in Group II. No differences between the two groups were recorded in the follow-up period: no recurrence in either group and hydrocele formation in only 1 patient in Group II.

Conclusions: There are similar functional results in treatment of inguinal hernia in babies during the first 3 months of the life using single- and multiport laparoscopy. Scarless cosmetic results are seen in the single-incision laparoscopic surgery group.