Exploration of laparoscopic day surgery mode for pediatric inguinal hernia: a large cohort study

The pediatric day surgery has experienced a rapid development in recent years. This study aims to investigate the prospects of day surgery in pediatric hospitals. A total of 17,549 pediatric patients with inguinal hernia (IH) treated between July 2018 and August 2023 were included. The patients were divided into four groups: group A1 (open IH repair [OIHR] in the traditional ward), A2 (laparoscopic IH repair [LIHR] in the traditional ward), B1 (OIHR in the day ward), and B2 (LIHR in the day ward). A retrospective analysis was conducted based on clinical data, satisfaction and prognosis. The present study showed that the operative time between groups A2 and B2 showed no significant difference (p = 0.1205). However, the total time from entering to exiting the operating room was significantly longer in group A2 compared to group B2 (p < 0.0001). Hospitalization costs were significantly lower for patients in the day ward compared to the traditional ward (p < 0.0001). There was no significant difference in the recurrent IH rate between groups A2 and B2 (p = 0.977) or in incision infection rates between the day and traditional wards. The recurrent IH rate was significantly higher after OIHR compared to LIHR (p < 0.0001). The parent satisfaction in the day ward is higher than the traditional ward. The day surgery model of LIHR is a safe, reliable, and economically beneficial surgical management model that is highly recommended for pediatric hospitals.