Adolescent inguinal hernia repair: a review of the literature and recommendations for selective management

Surgical methods and outcomes of inguinal hernia repair in children, adolescents and young adults in a retrospective cohort study

Laparoscopic repair as an alternative option for pediatric inguinal hernia has increased worldwide. We aimed to analyze the surgical methods of inguinal hernia repair among children, adolescents and young adults, and evaluate the surgical outcomes of reoperation and postoperative complications. This is a hospital-based retrospective cohort study. 3249 inpatients who were ≤ 25 years and underwent inguinal hernia repair between 2015 and 2021 were included. Baseline data, hernia characteristics, surgical approach and technique, outcomes including reoperation and postoperative complications before discharge were identified from electronic medical records. Multivariable Cox regression and logistic regression were used to analyze the association between surgical methods and outcomes. Of all participants, 72.82% were children younger than 9 years, 79.62% were male, 81.19% underwent laparoscopic surgery. Laparoscopic sac high ligation was the mostly used method among infants and children who were younger than 13 years (from 61.11% in 10-12 years old to 96.77% in 0-3 years old), open and laparoscopic tension-free repairs were more common for adolescents and young adults older than 13 years (from 92.38% in 13-15 years old to 100% in 19-21 years old). During a median follow-up of 51.91 months, 24 (0.74%) reoperations were identified, including 3 (0.09%) ipsilateral recurrence, and 21 (0.65%) metachronous contralateral inguinal hernia (MCIH) repair. The rate of complications before discharge was 0.37%. There were no significantly differences in reoperation (aHR = 0.51, 95%CI: 0.12-2.19) and complications (aOR = 0.83, 95%CI: 0.17-4.11) between laparoscopic and open surgery. Age < 3 years (aHR = 6.40, 95%CI: 1.66-24.61), unilateral hernia (aHR = 11.09, 95%CI: 1.46-84.30), and anemia (aHR = 8.58, 95%CI: 1.94-38.05) were independent risk factors for reoperation. Obstruction/gangrene was independent risk factor for complications (aOR = 17.16, 95%CI: 4.07-72.38). Laparoscopic sac high ligation was most commonly performed in children < 13 years, and open and laparoscopic tension-free repairs were more frequently in those > 13 years. Both laparoscopic and open approaches were safe and effective, with low incidence of reoperations and complications.

Older Children Undergoing Inguinal Hernia Repair Have Higher Recurrence Rates Than Younger Children and Adults: A Nationwide Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

High ligation is the standard practice for inguinal hernia repair in children while adults undergo a floor repair. There is limited data to guide recommendations on the age at which floor repair should be considered. This is a hypothesis-generating study to understand the correlation of age and other factors with inguinal hernia recurrence in children.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Children aged 6-17 years who underwent inguinal hernia repair by a pediatric surgeon between 2010 and 2022 were identified in the PearlDiver Mariner database, as were adults aged 18-25 years treated by an adult surgeon. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to determine the risk of hernia recurrence by age, sex, and obesity status.

RESULTS

A total of 15,114 children and 20,863 adults were included. Children aged 16-17 years had a significantly increased five-year risk of hernia recurrence compared to children aged 6-10 years (2.5 % vs 0.8 %, adjusted hazard ratio [AHR]: 3.00, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.98-4.56) as well as compared to the adult group (2.5 % vs 1.2 %, AHR 1.90, 95 % CI: 1.31-2.74). Obese males aged 14-17 years had the highest five-year rate of hernia recurrence of any group at 4.7 %.

CONCLUSIONS

Children 16-17 years of age who underwent inguinal hernia repair with pediatric surgeons have an increased risk of hernia recurrence compared to younger children as well as compared to adults treated by general surgeons. We hypothesize that high ligations, commonly performed by pediatric surgeons, may be inappropriate in some groups of older children.

TYPE OF STUDY

Cohort.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III.

Laparoscopic Versus Open Hernia Repair for Indirect Inguinal Hernia in Adolescents: A Retrospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The optimal surgical approach for inguinal hernia (IH) repair in adolescents has not been established. This study aimed to analyze and compare the perioperative results and long-term outcomes of adolescent patients with IH treated with laparoscopic (LHR) versus open hernia repair (OHR).

METHODS

This study retrospectively reviewed the clinicopathological data of adolescent patients with IH who underwent LHR or OHR as initial treatment from March 2012 to February 2018 at Xinxiang Central Hospital. Clinicopathological factors associated with the prognosis of patients were identified using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) curves between different cohorts of patients were generated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was used to match patients of the LHR and OHR groups in a 1:1 ratio.

RESULTS

Adolescent patients with IH were enrolled, including 243 patients in the LHR group and 252 patients in the OHR group. After PSM, 189 patients were matched in each of the study group. Compared with the OHR group, the LHR group had a shorter hospitalization, less blood loss, fewer overall postoperative complications and lower rates of recurrence and chronic pain. The LHR group had a significantly better RFS than the OHR group before and after PSM.

CONCLUSIONS

Laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair for adolescent patients with IH can be safely performed with favorable perioperative and long-term outcomes.

Analysis of the efficacy of laparoscopic high hernia sac ligation in adolescent indirect hernia

OBJECTIVE

Inguinal hernias are a common disease that may present at all ages. Adolescents are a unique patient population between children and adults. The etiology and the surgical treatment strategies of adolescent indirect hernias are not clear. Specifically, whether these kinds of hernias should be treated by high ligation or mesh repair remains controversial. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of laparoscopic high hernia sac ligation in adolescent indirect hernia.

METHODS

The data of adolescent patients who underwent laparoscopic high hernia sac ligation at the The First People's Hospital of Foshan,China, from January 2012 to December 2019 were analyzed retrospectively. Data collected included their age, gender, weight, surgical method, hernia ring diameter, operation time, postoperative recurrence rate and postoperative complications.

RESULTS

A total of 70 patients were enrolled, including 61 males (87.14%) and 9 females (12.86%),all patients were aged 13-18 years old (mean 14.87 ± 1.56years), weighed 28-92 kg (mean 53.04 ± 10.60 kg). All 70 patients underwent laparoscopic surgery except 2 patients with irreducible hernias who converted to laparotomy.The hernia ring diameter ranged from 0.5 to 3 cm (mean 1.39 ± 0.49 cm), and was ≤ 2 cm in 68 cases (97.14%).The operative length ranged from 12 to 105 min (average 24.96 ± 12.61 min), There were 37(52.9%) right-sided hernias, 32 (45.7%) left-sided hernias, 1 (1.4%) bilateral hernia.There were 67(95.7%)reducible hernias,2(2.9%)irreducible hernias ,and 1(1.4%)incarcerated hernia.Hospital stays ranged from 1 to 5 days (mean 2.37 ± 1.05 days). Follow-ups were performed from 30-119months (mean 74.27 ± 28.14months). There were no cases of recurrence, howere, incision infection occured in 1 patient, who underwent a second operation 6 months after surgery, and 4 (5.7%) patients had complaints of intermittent pain around the ligation incision site, mostly during exercise .

CONCLUSION

Laparoscopic high hernia sac ligation is feasible for treatment of adolescent indirect hernias with a hernia ring diameter of ≤ 2 cm.

Robotic repair of pediatric hernias: Current techniques and practices

The use of minimally invasive surgical techniques has gained popularity in pediatric surgery due to decreased length of stay, improved post-operative pain and smaller incisions. Laparoscopic assisted robotic surgical procedures are becoming more common in adults as they carry all of the benefits of traditional MIS but also allow for improved dexterity, visualization and surgeon ergonomics. In adults, hernia repairs are one of the most commonly performed robotic cases but adaption to pediatric repairs has been slower. Case reports and small case series have described a number of various types of pediatric hernia repairs including congenital diaphragmatic hernias, paraesophageal hernias and inguinal hernias. These cases have demonstrated that robotic repair of pediatric hernias is safe and feasible with minimal documented post-operative complications or recurrence. Future directions should focus on larger patient volume in order to assess outcomes between traditional laparoscopic and robotic approaches.

Senhance Robotic Platform in Pediatrics: Early US Experience

INTRODUCTION

Different robotic systems have been used widely in human surgery since 2000, but pediatric patients require some features that are lacking in the most frequently used robotic systems.

HYPOTHESIS

The Senhance^® robotic system is a safe and an effective device for use in infants and children that has some advantages over other robotic systems.

METHODS

All patients between 0 and 18 years of age whose surgery was amenable to laparoscopy were offered enrollment in this IRB-approved study. We assessed the feasibility, ease and safety of using this robotic platform in pediatric patients including: set-up time, operative time, conversions, complications and outcomes.

RESULTS

Eight patients, ranging from 4 months to 17 years of age and weighing between 8 and 130 kg underwent a variety of procedures including: cholecystectomy (3), inguinal herniorrhaphy (3), orchidopexy for undescended testes (1) and exploration for a suspected enteric duplication cyst (1). All robotic procedures were successfully performed. The 4-month-old (mo), 8 kg patient underwent an uneventful robotic exploration in an attempt to locate a cyst that was hidden in the mesentery at the junction of the terminal ileum and cecum, but ultimately the patient required an anticipated laparotomy to palpate the cyst definitively and to excise it completely. There was no blood loss and no complications. Robotic manipulation with the reusable 3 mm instruments proved successful in all cases.

CONCLUSIONS

Our initial experience with the Senhance^® robotic platform suggests that this is a safe and effective device for pediatric surgery that is easy to use, and which warrants continued evaluation. Most importantly, there appears to be no lower age or weight restrictions to its use.

The Status of Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Surgery in Children: A Nationwide Assessment

Inguinal hernia repair (IHR) is a common procedure in childhood. Laparoscopic IHR has been evolving for the last three decades. Although clear advantages have been shown, adaptation in Germany has been slow. We aim to study the current status of pediatric laparoscopic IHR. A survey was sent to all 89 pediatric surgical departments in Germany on current practices and preferences of open versus laparoscopic IHR. Two nationwide databases of administrative claims data from 2019 were analyzed and correlated with responses from the survey. A total of 56% of the pediatric surgical departments supplied data through the quality reports. The recall of our survey was 58% of all pediatric surgery departments. According to the pooled data, laparoscopic IHR was performed in 8.2% of all inpatients treated. Laparoscopic IHR was considered a training procedure in 48% of the departments. Five different laparoscopic techniques were described (most commonly percutaneous closure of the hernia under laparoscopic vision). The choice between open and laparoscopic IHR was mainly determined by the child’s age. Currently, only a minority of German children undergo inguinal hernia repair by laparoscopy. More training opportunities in the form of hands-on and video workshops may lead to more widespread employment of the laparoscopic technique.