title: Comparison of the effects of laparoscopic hernia repair and Lichtenstein tension-free hernia repair.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the effects of laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair (LIHR) and Lichtenstein tension-free inguinal hernia repair and to explore the safety and feasibility of LIHR as well as the advantages and disadvantages of these procedures.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 252 patients with inguinal hernia were equally randomized into the transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) repair, totally extraperitoneal (TEP) repair, and Lichtenstein tension-free hernia repair groups (n=84 each). Operating time, postoperative pain scores, postoperative scrotal seroma, postoperative local esthesiodermia, postoperative chronic pains, postoperative long-term hernia relapse, and costs of hospitalization were compared among the three groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All laparoscopic operations were performed smoothly without intraoperative conversion to open surgery. The LIHR groups showed significantly better effects on postoperative pains and hernia recurrence than the Lichtenstein tension-free herniorrhaphy group (P<.05), but with a significantly higher hospitalization cost (P<.05). The occurrence rate of postoperative scrotal seroma or hydrops in the TAPP, TEP, and Lichtenstein groups was 11 (13.10%), 13 (15.48%), and 6 (7.14%), respectively. No significant differences among the operating time, postoperative local esthesiodermia, or postoperative chronic pains of the groups were observed (P>.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LIHR is a safe and feasible procedure. It has significantly better effects on postoperative pains and hernia relapse than Lichtenstein tension-free hernia repair.
authors.affiliation: Department of Minimal Invasive Surgery, The First People’s Hospital of Wenling, Wenling, Zhejiang, China. wjjzcn@163.com
authors.forename: Wei-Jun
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jun-Zhen
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Jian-Feng
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Peng-Fei
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Zhi-Tao
authors.initials: ZT
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006552:Hernia, Inguinal / Q000601:surgery*; D059685:Herniorrhaphy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged