Comparison of Transabdominal Preperitoneal (TAPP) and Total Extraperitoneal (TEP) Methods in Adult Inguinal Hernia Repair at a Secondary-Level State Hospital: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Objective: Inguinal hernia repair is the most common procedure performed by general surgeons.According to the European Hernia Society (EHS) guidelines, the Lichtenstein procedure is recommended as the standard approach for open repair, while TAPP and TEP procedures are routinely employed for laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair. Materials and Methods:Between January 2017 and August 2024, patients diagnosed with inguinal hernia who underwent laparoscopic hernia repair in our general surgery department were included in the study.The patients' preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative findings were compared.Results: A total of 310 patients were included in the study.TAPP repair was performed in 89 patients (28.7%), while TEP repair was performed in 221 patients (71.3%).The mean operative time was 74 (27) minutes in the TAPP group and 60 (23) minutes in the TEP group, with the TEP group showing a significantly shorter operative time.The length of hospital stay was similar between the two groups.No statistically significant difference was found in the overall morbidity rates.Chronic pain was observed in 7.9% of patients in the TAPP group compared to 2.3% in the TEP group, a difference that was statistically significant (p=0.021). Conclusion:Differences in intraoperative and postoperative complication rates, recurrence rates, and length of hospital stay are observed between the TAPP and TEP techniques.It was found that the TAPP technique is associated with a longer operative time and a higher likelihood of chronic pain.For these reasons, we anticipate that surgeons will prefer the TEP technique despite its steep learning curve.