Outcomes of laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal hernia repair in the elderly population: a retrospective cohort study.

Abstract

Introduction: Hernia repair is a common procedure, especially among the elderly. In the face of rising life expectancy, adequate hernia management in older adults is crucial. Laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal patch plasty (TAPP) for hernia repair is minimally invasive, but poses challenges in the elderly due to a larger number of comorbidities.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of TAPP hernia repair in patients aged 70 years and older.

Materials and methods: Our retrospective study reviewed data of patients who underwent elective unilateral TAPP repair for primary inguinal hernia between September 2021 and December 2023. The patients were divided by age: 70 and older (cases) and younger than 70 (controls). Primary outcomes included recurrence rate, surgical site infections (SSIs), operative time, and hospital stay. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and inferential tests.

Results: The study included 201 patients (47 cases and 154 controls). The mean (SD) age was 75.74 (4.73) years for the cases and 53.47 (12.8) years for the controls. No recurrences were found in the elderly (cases) group, while the control group recorded a 3.92% recurrence rate (P = 0.34). SSIs affected 2.13% of the cases and 1.31% of the controls (P = 0.55). Operative times were similar (71.44 vs 71.96 min; P = 0.8). Hospital stay was 3.11 days for the cases and 3.04 days for the controls (P = 0.14).

Conclusions: Laparoscopic TAPP hernia repair is a safe and effective procedure in the elderly and its outcomes are comparable to those recorded in younger patients. Further studies are needed to validate these results.