Laparoscopic Totally Extra-peritoneal Hernioplasty versus Lichtenstein Open Tension Free Mesh Repair for Inguinal Hernia

Background: Surgery for a groin hernia is the most common operation in general surgery. The recurrence rate in non-specialized centres is high, and postoperative pain and discomfort are common. The inguinal hernia repair has been a controversial area in surgical practice ever since it was associated with recurrence rates which have decreased because of the use of prosthetic mesh. Objective: This study was aimed to evaluate the benefits and harms of the total extra-peritoneal technique compared with the Lichtenstein technique for inguinal hernia repair. Patients and Material: This randomized controlled trial study included a total of 40 male patients aged between 14 and 60 years with unilateral or bilateral inguinal hernia, attending at Outpatient Clinic, Aswan University Hospital and followed up there. This study was conducted period from August 2017 to August 2018. They were randomly divided into two groups; Group A Open Lichtenstein hernioplasty and Group B; laparoscopic total extraperitoneal hernioplasty (TEP). Results: There was a statistically significant difference between Groups A and B cases as regard operative time and hospital stay. There was no statistically significant difference between Group A and B cases as regard intra-operative/postoperative complications. Also, there was no s statistically significant difference as regard VAS, recurrence in either group during the follow- up period of 6 months. Conclusions: It could be concluded that laparoscopic total extraperitoneal hernioplasty yielded better results regarding operative time and hospital stay. Yet, better results were found regarding complications, but the study could not detect statistical differences.