Comparison of TAPP and TEP in laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair

Introduction and purpose: Although inguinal hernia is very common and there are many publications comparing repair techniques, there is no definite consensus on the ideal surgical repair technique. The aim of this study was to compare TAPP and TEP techniques, which are laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair techniques. In this study, it was tried to determine whether one technique has an advantage over the other in terms of surgery, hospitalization and recovery times, recurrence, postoperative bleeding and testicular edema. Materials-methods: Totally 62 patients who underwent laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair between January 2015 and January 2020 were included in this retrospective study conducted at Dicle University Faculty of Medicine, Department of General Surgery. The patients were divided into two groups as TAPP and TEP patients, and the groups were compared with the cohort method. Results: Among the patients who underwent TAPP and TEP operations; it was determined that there was no significant difference in terms of operation time, recovery time, hospital stay, recurrence and complications (p>0.05). On the other hand, a statistically significant difference was found between unilateral and bilateral TEP and unilateral and bilateral TAPP groups in terms of length of hospital stay (p=0.012). Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, TEP and TAPP are equally effective and safe as laparoscopic hernia repair surgery. The choice of which approach to perform can be made according to the skill and preference of the surgeon.