Pain and quality of life after laparoscopic unilateral inguinal hernia repair

Abstract

Introduction Surgical repair of inguinal hernias is one of the most frequently performed operations. Transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) and Total extraperitoneal (TEP) methods are the two commonly employed laparoscopic methods for herniorrhaphy. Objective To evaluate the pain and quality of life (QoL) following laparoscopic inguinal hernia surgery utilizing the TAPP and TEP methods. Patients and methods One hundred individuals with unilateral inguinal hernias who had received a clinical diagnosis participated in this prospective trial. The research population was randomly split into two groups by computer-generated software: group A, which consisted of 50 inguinal hernia patients who experienced laparoscopic TAPP surgery, and group B, which consisted of 50 inguinal hernia patients who were treated with laparoscopic TEP surgery. Results After one week and one month postoperatively, the TAPP group had a higher median pain VAS score than the TEP group, which was significant statistically (p values 0.001 and 0.001, respectively). The two groups’ VAS scores did not differ significantly after three- and six-months follow-up. In terms of preoperative and six-month postoperative QoL related domains, the TAPP versus TEP patients showed insignificant difference. Cases involving TAPP and TEP showed an increase of statistical significance in QoL domains from preoperative to six months following surgery. Conclusion According to our investigation, TEP is superior to TAPP. When performed by skilled hands, it appears to be the best method for repairing inguinal hernias.