title: Laparoscopic treatment of congenital inguinal hernia in children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The authors report their experience in the laparoscopic treatment of congenital inguinal hernia in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between September 1994 and September 1995, 45 boys between 8 months and 13 years of age (mean, 4 years) were treated laparoscopically for hydroceles, spermatic cord cysts, or hernias. Twenty-six (57.8%) boys showed a right inguinal hernia, 17 (37.8%) a left hernia, and two cases (4.4%) presented the clinical data of a bilateral pathology. The approach used for small hernias was the placement of purse-string suture around the internal orifice of the inguinal canal (28 cases). As to hernias exceeding 4 to 5 mm in diameter, the external hemicircumference of the neck was opened to bring the conjoined tendon closer to the crural arch with a nonresorbable suture (17 cases). There was never need to use a prosthesis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Surgery lasted from 15 to 45 minutes with the duration decreasing with experience. There were no intra- or postsurgical complications. Two patients (4.4%) experienced a recurrent inguinal hernia, which was successfully operated on again with laparoscopy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The early results of these authors suggest that laparoscopic surgery is a feasible and safe technique for the treatment of patent peritoneal vaginal canal (PVC) and inguinal hernia in children.
authors.affiliation: Centre Chirurgicale Boulogne Billancourt, Paris, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Montupet
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Esposito
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006552:Hernia, Inguinal / Q000151:congenital* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D012086:Reoperation; D013536:Suture Techniques; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome