title: Single-port versus conventional three-port laparoscopic totally extraperitoneal inguinal hernia repair: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Single-port laparoscopic surgery (SPLS) has been introduced for totally extraperitoneal (TEP) inguinal hernia repair. Clinically, however, the benefits of single-port TEP (SP TEP) are unclear. This study aimed to compare short-term surgical outcomes between SP TEP and conventional laparoscopic TEP(CL TEP) inguinal hernia repair.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between January 2013 and February 2015, 99 men with primary unilateral inguinal hernia were randomized to the single-port or conventional 3-port TEP procedures. The primary end point was postoperative pain. Secondary end points were complications, postoperative hospital stay, days to return to daily normal activities, cosmesis, and quality of life (QOL).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We randomized 50 patients to SP TEP and 49 to CL TEP repair. The SP TEP group patients had significantly lower pain scores (visual analog scale) 7 days postoperation (p = 0.017). However, there were no significant differences between the two groups in postoperative pain scores 24 h (p = 0.44) and 4 weeks (p = 0.677) after operation and analgesic requirements on the operation day (p = 0.303) and 7 days after the operation (p = 0.204). Operation time, postoperative hospital stay, and complications were comparable between the two groups. The days to return to daily normal activities, QOL, and cosmetic satisfaction were not different between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The outcomes of SP TEP hernia repair for operation time and morbidities were comparable to CL TEP, and postoperative pain was lower at 7 days than in CL TEP hernia repair. The SP TEP technique can be recommended as an alternative treatment for inguinal hernia repair in experienced hands.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Daejeon St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Daeheung-ro 64, Jung-gu, Daejeon, 301-723, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Daejeon St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Daeheung-ro 64, Jung-gu, Daejeon, 301-723, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: I K
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Daejeon St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Daeheung-ro 64, Jung-gu, Daejeon, 301-723, Republic of Korea. zambo9@catholic.ac.kr.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006552:Hernia, Inguinal / Q000601:surgery*; D059685:Herniorrhaphy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain; D011446:Prospective Studies
keywords: Inguinal hernia; Laparoscopic; Single-port; Total extraperitoneal