Robotic-assisted versus laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal inguinal hernia repair: A cross-sectional comparison of surgical outcomes.

INTRODUCTION

Inguinal hernias are the most common type of abdominal wall hernias, comprising approximately 75% of cases. Surgical management has advanced from traditional open repair to minimally invasive techniques such as laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) repair. Robotic-assisted TAPP represents a newer evolution in hernia surgery. This study compares robotic-assisted and laparoscopic TAPP in terms of post-operative pain, intraoperative visualisation and procedural feasibility.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

A descriptive, observational study was conducted at SMS Hospital, Jaipur, involving 72 patients (36 in each group) undergoing unilateral or bilateral uncomplicated inguinal hernia repair. Post-operative pain was assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at 8, 16 and 24 h. Intraoperative ergonomics and feasibility were measured using standard fatigue and visualisation scores.

RESULTS

The robotic-assisted TAPP group demonstrated significantly lower pain scores at all post-operative time points (P < 0.001). Mean VAS scores at 8, 16 and 24 h were 5.03, 3.22 and 1.94, respectively, in the robotic-assisted group, compared to 5.83, 4.28 and 2.83 in the laparoscopic group. The overall mean VAS score was 3.38 for robotic-assisted and 4.31 for laparoscopic TAPP (P < 0.01). Visualisation was rated as 'very good' in 100% of robotic-assisted cases versus only 'good' or 'average' in laparoscopic cases (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Robotic-assisted TAPP is associated with significantly reduced post-operative pain, superior surgical field visualisation and improved ergonomic feasibility compared to laparoscopic TAPP. These findings support the use of robotic-assisted TAPP as a preferred approach for inguinal hernia repair.