Abstract
Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a rare but critical surgical disorder that can be managed using either open or thoracoscopic surgical approaches. However, the optimal approach remains a topic of debate. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of thoracoscopic repair compared to open repair in patients with CDH. An extensive literature search was conducted across four databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library) from inception to May 2024, including all relevant studies comparing the two surgical modalities. Key outcomes assessed were hospital stay duration, operation time, mortality, and recurrence. Categorical outcomes were analyzed using the risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), while continuous outcomes were analyzed using the mean difference (MD) with 95% CI. Data analysis was performed using Review Manager (RevMan, Version 5.3). A total of 35 studies involving 1,680 individuals with CDH were included in our analysis. The pooled results revealed that thoracoscopic repair was associated with a shorter hospital stay (MD=-6.80, 95% CI [-9.39, -4.21], p< 0.0001) but a longer operation time (MD=23.30, 95% CI [7.22, 39.38], p=0.005) compared to the open approach. Additionally, thoracoscopic repair demonstrated lower mortality rates (RR=0.43, 95% CI [0.24, 0.76], p=0.004) but higher recurrence rates (RR=2.24, 95% CI [1.56, 3.21], p<0.0001) than open repair. Our findings suggest that thoracoscopic repair offers shorter hospital stays and lower mortality rates but involves longer operation times and higher recurrence rates compared to the open approach. These results highlight the need for further large, multicenter, randomized controlled trials to validate our findings and guide clinical decision-making.