Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To explore the efficacy and safety of single-incision laparoscopic (SIL) technique compared with the traditional three-port total extraperitoneal (TEP) technique for inguinal hernia repair. METHODS: This prospective, randomised study involved patients who underwent surgery for inguinal hernia at our hospital from December 2021 to July 2023. Patients were randomly assigned to SIL-TEP or TEP groups based on a computer-generated random number table. Perioperative clinical indicators for the surgical approaches were evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 127 patients eligible for study, 66 were randomised to the SIL-TEP group and 61 to the TEP group. The operation time for SIL-TEP was significantly longer than for TEP but the time to return to normal activities was significantly shorter and short-term pain score was significantly lower. There were no differences between groups in intraoperative blood loss, postoperative hospital stays, pain relief time, hospitalization costs or cosmetic satisfaction scores. CONCLUSION: While SIL-TEP is more challenging than TEP for hernia repair, we found that at our centre it is comparable with regard to overall safety and feasibility. Further studies are needed to validate our findings.