Comparative Analysis of Early Complications and Length of Hospital Stay After Laparoscopic and Open Inguinal Hernia Repair.

Inguinal hernia repair remains one of the most frequently performed surgical procedures, but the problem of early postoperative complications remains significant, particularly in the context of surgical technique selection and patient age. The aim of this study was to compare the incidence of early complications and the length of hospital stay in patients undergoing laparoscopic and open inguinal hernia repair. To achieve this goal, a retrospective study was conducted, analyzing data from 172 patients who underwent laparoscopic and open mesh repair. The results showed that no early complications occurred in patients undergoing laparoscopic repair, whereas complications were reported in 6.4% of patients undergoing open repair, primarily in older adults. The average hospital stay was also shorter with the laparoscopic approach. These data suggest advantages of laparoscopic surgery, especially for elective procedures, which may help reduce complication rates and accelerate recovery. The practical significance of the work is that the obtained results can be used to optimize the selection of surgical technique in the treatment of inguinal hernia, especially in the context of limited financial resources and the need to improve the quality of medical care in Polish medical facilities.