Laparoscopic percutaneous inguinal hernia repair in children: Review of technique and comparison with open surgery

In select patients, LPHR is an efficient, safe, and effective minimally invasive alternative to OHR, with reduced operative times but without increased rates of complications or recurrences. The technique has a short learning curve and is a practical alternative to OHR for pediatric urologists who infrequently utilize pure laparoscopic technique.Table. Patient characteristics, operative duration, and follow-up.CharacteristicTotalLPHROHRpMale, n (%)70 (92%)34 (90%)36 (95%)0.674aAge (months), median (range)23 (1-103)21.5 (2-103)23 (1-92)0.934bWeight (kg), mean (±SD)12.8 (±6.7)13.1 (±6.7)13.2 (±6.8)0.981cLaterality, n (%)1.00a Unilateral54 (71%)27 (71%)27 (71%) Bilateral22 (29%)11 (29%)11 (29%)Operative time, median (range)43 (13-135)31 (13-85)64 (30-135)<0.001b Unilateral42 (13-135)25 (13-85)59 (30-135)<0.001b Bilateral61 (25-102)31 (25-62)79 (61-102)<0.001bFollow-up (days), median (range)48 (21-146)51 (37-113)47 (21-146)0.346baFisher's Exact test.bMann-Whitney U.ct test.