Skipping the Cord During Laparoscopic Percutaneous Internal Ring Suturing in Children, Is It Reasonable

Abstract

Background As a minimally invasive procedure, laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair in children was introduced. Percutaneous internal ring suturing (PIRS) is a popular technique. The main concern is that the spermatic cord will be trapped and/or the vasculature of the testes will be damaged in boys. This can be avoided by performing a careful dissection or by skipping the peritoneum over the cord and/or the vessels. The aim of the study was to compare the incidence of recurrence or complication (e.g. hydrocele) in children with skipped peritoneum on the cord and/or vessels compared to those without skipped peritoneum during laparoscopic PIRS repair. Methods The charts of children who underwent laparoscopic PIRS repair for inguinal hernia between 2017 and 2021 were analyzed. Complications and recurrence were assessed. The video recordings were viewed, and data on skipping (group 1) or not skipping (group 2) the peritoneum on vas deferens was recorded. The rates of recurrence and complications were compared between groups. Results There were 101 boys with a total of 125 inguinal hernias in the study. There were 45 right-sided hernias, 32 had left-sided hernias, and 24 had bilateral hernias. According to the video investigation, there were 63 hernias in group 1 and 62 hernias in group 2. In each group, there were two recurrences (3% for both groups). There were no other postoperative complications. Conclusions To avoid spermatic cord or vessel damage, skipping the cord appears to be an acceptable path that does not appear to increase recurrence or complication rates while also ensuring the safety of spermatic structures.