Laparoscopic Hernia Sac Transection With Intracorporeal Ligation: A Comparison With Open Hernia Repair in the Pediatric Age Group

Background and objective Inguinal hernia in children results from a failure of the processus vaginalis (PV) to close, leading to herniation. Surgical repair is necessary to prevent complications in this patient population. This study aimed to compare the outcomes between laparoscopic herniotomy (LH) and open herniotomy (OH) in pediatric patients with inguinal hernia. Methods This prospective study included 80 children diagnosed with inguinal hernia between January 2023 and June 2024. Patients aged 1-12 years were classified into two groups: 38 underwent LH, and 42 received OH. Postoperative outcomes, including operative time, pain, hospital stay, and complications, were evaluated. Statistical analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, with a p-value <0.05 considered significant. The t-test, chi-square test, and arithmetic mean with standard deviation (SD) were used for data analysis. Results The mean operative time was significantly longer for LH (97.89 ±18.2 minutes) compared to OH (31.14 ±8.3 minutes) (p<0.001). However, pain assessment revealed no significant difference between the groups (p=0.776). Hospital stay was longer for LH patients, who were discharged on day two, compared to day one for OH patients (p=0.001). No significant differences were observed in surgical site infection (SSI) rates (p=0.090) or return to school (p=0.857). Conclusions Laparoscopic and open hernia repair are comparable in terms of postoperative pain, SSI rates, and return to normal activities. However, OH offers advantages in terms of reduced operative time and shorter hospital stays. Further studies, including randomized controlled trials, are needed to exclude selection bias and provide deeper insights into the topic.