eTEP inferior access with tailored retromuscular dissection for small to mid-sized umbilical hernia repair with or without inguinal hernia: early experience

Cranial approach for preperitoneal/pretransversalis enhanced-view totally extraperitoneal (PeTEP) hernia repair: a novel technique description and early outcomes

BACKGROUND

Minimally invasive techniques are widely used to treat abdominal wall defects. This study describes a cranial approach for performing the total preperitoneal/pretransversalis enhanced-view totally extraperitoneal (PeTEP) technique and presents early outcomes for treating primary ventral hernias (PVH), midline trocar site incisional hernias (IHs), both associated with rectus diastasis, as well as lateral IHs.

METHODS

An observational study was conducted from October 2023 to September 2024, identifying cases where the cranial PeTEP technique was employed, using data from a multicentric prospectively maintained database. The cranial approach involved dissection of the preperitoneal fatty rhomboid, extending the dissection across the preperitoneal and transversalis fascial plane to the semilunar lines laterally and the pubis caudally. For lateral defects, the dissection extended beyond the ipsilateral semilunar line, surpassing the lateral edge of the defect.

RESULTS

Twenty-four patients underwent elective endoscopic hernia repair: 62.5% PVH, 29.2% midline IH, and 8.3% lateral IH. The mean defect area was 6.32 ± 6.13 cm2, and the average mesh size was 497.21.41 ± 202.71 cm2. The surgical site occurrences rate was 8.3%, with no surgical site infections or recurrences at a mean follow-up of 5.3 months.

CONCLUSIONS

The cranial PeTEP technique was a safe, effective, and reproducible method for repairing PVH and small-medium IHs associated with rectus diastasis in a selected cohort of patients. It facilitated large preperitoneal mesh placement without entering the retromuscular plane and avoided posterior component separation in lateral defects. Larger studies with extended follow-up are needed to confirm these promising results.

[Is vTAPP for small ventral hernias a potential «gold standard» for less than 24 hours hospitalization?]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness of vTAPP for small/M3W1 hernias compared to IPOM.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed a prospectively recruited group of patients. Study objects were patients undergoing ventral laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal hernia repair (vTAPP) for primary Midline/Lateral Small hernias up to 2 cm. The control group comprised patients after IPOM procedure.

RESULTS

We analyzed 179 patients: vTAPP (n=132) and IPOM groups (n=47). The vTAPP group was characterized by significantly shorter hospitals-stay (Q1-Q3: 8-70 hours, p<0.001), fewer relapses (n=2, p=0.047) and slightly longer surgery (Q1-Q3: 40-80 min, p=0.037). Cost-effectiveness analysis revealed 3.39 times more profitable vTAPP compared to IPOM.

CONCLUSION

Laparoscopic preperitoneal hernia repair is a safe and effective method not requiring special tools and consumables. This approach is applicable as an outpatient (or <24h hospital-stay) method.

Enhanced-view totally extraperitoneal access for repair of ventral hernias: Advantages and liabilities

The concept of enhanced-view totally extraperitoneal (eTEP) access was developed while exploring ways to facilitate the TEP approach for inguinal hernia repair. Surgeons soon noticed that the surgical space was ideal for repair of other abdominal hernias. The "crossover" maneuver, designed as a technique to cross from one retrorectus space to the other, permitted application of eTEP access to most hernias. eTEP access has the general advantage of working in the extraperitoneal space and the specific advantage of hernia repair allowing implementation of the modern principles of ventral hernia reconstruction and providing flexibility to address different types of hernias in different locations. The technique requires formal training and has inherent complications and limitations. The remarkable widespread acceptance and encouraging early results of this complex technique emphasize the responsibilities of proper training, judicious use, and evaluation of our own and others' results.