The safety and usefulness of the single incision, transabdominal pre-peritoneal (TAPP) laparoscopic technique for inguinal hernia

Background : The safety and usefulness of the SILS-TAPP (transabdominal preperitoneal) procedure remain unclear. The aim of this study was to clarify the safety and usefulness of the SILS-TAPP procedure compared with standard laparoscopic TAPP and TEPP (totally extra-peritoneal pre-peritoneal) procedures. Patients and methods : 85 patients underwent laparoscopic inguinal hernia repairs (TEPP, 30 patients ; TAPP, 20 patients ; SILS-TAPP, 35 patients) from 2007 to 2011. The operative outcomes of the three groups were compared. Results : There was no difference in the patients’ characteristics among the three groups. The TEPP Group had a longer operation time. One patient in the SILS-TAPP group had an intraoperative complication. One patient in the TAPP group had a postoperative complication, and one patient had ileus and one had an umbilical hernia in the SILS-TAPP group. The postoperative hospital stay was not significantly different among the three groups. There were no recurrences in the TEPP group, 1 case of recurrence (5.0%) in the TAPP group, and 1 case (2.9%) in the SILS-TAPP group. Conclusions : The present findings show that the SILS-TAPP repair is safe and feasible for the repair of adult inguinal hernia.