Feasibility and safety of redo laparoscopic repair of recurrent inguinal hernia following previous endolaparoscopic repair.

Background: Laparoscopic redo inguinal hernia (LRIH) repairs are fraught with challenges as the pre-peritoneal space is violated due to previous surgery and the presence of mesh. The purpose of this study was to present the feasibility and safety of LRIH in a series of patients with recurrent inguinal hernia following previous endolaparoscopic repair and present technical experiences and clinical outcomes in this subset of patients.

Patients and methods: This was a retrospective study from a prospective database of 16 patients who underwent LRIH between March 2014 and December 2020. The decision to do a redo laparoscopic surgery was undertaken after a detailed discussion with the patient. The operative details, challenges faced and tips to overcome difficulties have been explained in detail.

Results: Out of 16 patients (mean age 49.5 years, all men), 15 underwent laparoscopic redo trans-abdominal pre-peritoneal (TAPP) mesh repair and 1 underwent laparoscopic enhanced-view totally extra-peritoneal (eTEP) mesh repair. The mean operating time was 68.5 min for unilateral, 115 min for bilateral TAPP and 90 min for eTEP. The main contributing factors for recurrences were mesh migration, insufficient size of the mesh and inadequate fixation. There was no conversion to open repair. The duration of stay was 1-2 days. There was no documented re-recurrence during the follow-up period of 2-9 years.

Conclusion: Based on our experience, redo laparoscopic inguinal hernia mesh repair after previous endolaparoscopic repair is feasible, effective and safe in experienced hands.