Laparoscopic intra-peritoneal onlay mesh plus versus robotic transabdominal pre-peritoneal for primary ventral hernias: Our technique and outcomes.

Introduction: Intra-peritoneal onlay mesh repair (IPOM) still remains the most common approach for laparoscopic repair of small to medium sized hernias worldwide. In this study, we compare our early outcomes of an established procedure, i.e. laparoscopic IPOM plus to robotic transabdominal pre-peritoneal (rTAPP) for small to medium sized primary ventral hernia. To compare laparoscopic IPOM plus with rTAPP in terms of pain score, time to ambulate, hospital stay, time to return to work as well as the expenses.

Patients and methods: This is a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data at our centre between July 2021 and June 2022. Operative time including docking time was recorded. Cost analysis was done in both set of patients. Pain scores were assessed using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at regular intervals for up to 3 months and then at the end of 1 year. Time to ambulate, return of bowel function and return to work were documented. Any complication or recurrence during the study period was recorded.

Results: Mean operative time for IPOM plus and rTAPP groups was 59.00 and 73.55 min, respectively. Mean pain score for IPOM at 6, 12 and 24 h was 7.35, 6.81 and 5.77, while for rTAPP, it was 4.73, 3 and 2.55, respectively. VAS scores at 1 week, 1 month and 3 month also showed similar trends. Mean time to ambulate in minutes for IPOM and rTAPP group was 357.69 and 223.64, respectively. Mean hospital stay in days for IPOM and rTAPP was 2.12 and 1.18, respectively. Mean time to return to work in days was 11.77 and 8.45 for IPOM and rTAPP groups, respectively. Expenditure wise, cost of TAPP was more and statistically significant, owing to the use of robotic platform. The mean overall cost of laparoscopic IPOM plus and rTAPP in rupees was 187,177.69 and 245,174.55, respectively.

Conclusion: Robotic TAPP appears an excellent alternative to laparoscopic IPOM plus. Larger studies with long-term follow-up data are further required to reinforce it.