2018 Volume 54 Issue 5 Pages 1071-1075
Purpose: The aim of this study is to compare the postoperative outcome between laparoscopic percutaneous extraperitoneal closure (LPEC) and the Potts procedure for pediatric inguinal hernia in patients with ventriculo-peritoneal (VP) shunt.
Method: A comparative review of nine patients subjected to LPEC from 2011 to 2017 and nine patients subjected to the Potts procedure from 2006 to 2010 was carried out in terms of the background of the patients, the occurrence rate of bilateral inguinal hernia, the recurrence rate, and the complications related to the VP shunt.
Result: Seven patients (78%) in the LPEC group and six patients (66%) in the Potts procedure group were subjected to inguinal hernia repair on both sides. Intra-abdominal adhesion and peritoneal thickening were seen in three patients (33%). No statistically significant difference in operation time was found between the two groups. Although there was no recurrence of inguinal hernia after LPEC, recurrence occurred in one patient subjected to the Potts procedure. There was only one case of conversion from LPEC to the Potts procedure owing to the intra-abdominal adhesion and distention of the sigmoid colon. No complications related to the VP shunt were observed.
Conclusion: LPEC for patients with the VP shunt is a safer method than the Potts procedure. However, it is necessary to consider carefully which procedure should be chosen when the spermatic duct or testicular blood vessel is obscured owing to peritoneal thickening, intraperitoneal adhesion, or intestinal expansion, as well as when the body weight of the patient is under 3 kg.
