Background
Ventral hernia repair has changed dramatically over the past decades by the introduction of laparoscopy and prosthetic biomaterials. This study aimed to compare the short-term outcomes of laparoscopic ventral hernia repair (LVHR) versus open ventral hernia repair (OVHR).
Patients and methods
This prospective study was conducted on 40 patients with ventral hernia who were randomized to LVHR group or OVHR group to compare operative time, intraoperative complications, postoperative pain, postoperative hospital stay, postoperative complications, and cosmetic results.
Results
LVHR was performed in 20 patients having a mean age of 43.60±8.18 years, and 60% were females. OVHR was performed in 20 patients having a mean age of 48.40±9.45 years, and 50% were females. Operative time of laparoscopic repair (86 min) was shorter than that of open repair (91 min). Only one case was converted from laparoscopic repair to open repair. There was no significant injury to viscera or vessel and no recurrence in either group. In LVHR group, the percentage of patients requiring additional analgesia was 30%, whereas in OVHR group, the percentage of patients requiring additional analgesia was 65% (=0.027). The mean postoperative hospital stay was shorter for the laparoscopic group than for the open hernia group (1.15 vs. 4.55 days; =0.002). More wound infection occurred in the open group (15%) than in the laparoscopic group (5%) (=0.292).
Conclusion
LVHR is better than open repair, with less postoperative pain, shorter hospital stay, faster return to normal activity, lower rate of postoperative complications, and better cosmetic appearance.