Laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal technique versus open surgery with the ULTRAPRO Hernia System for the repair of female primary femoral hernias—an observational retrospective study

Femoral hernias (FHs), predominantly seen in females, require surgery for cure. To date, surgical repair of primary FHs in female patients with either open surgery or laparoscopic operation has been poorly documented. We retrospectively investigated the treatment of female primary FHs with open surgery using the ULTRAPRO Hernia System (UHS procedure) or the laparoscopic procedure, namely, the transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) technique. A total of 41 female patients with primary FHs who had undergone UHS or TAPP were included in this study. The procedural parameters, post-surgical complications, treatment expense, and follow-up results were analyzed. The vast majority of patients (39/41) underwent elective operations: 15 received UHS (including 2 emergency cases) and 26 had TAPP (P = .08). The UHS group had a greater average age, due to the fact that FHs occur often in people with advanced age who tend to have systemic disease, limiting the use of general anesthesia required for TAPP. Compared with UHS, TAPP took a significantly shorter time to complete and patients undergoing TAPP had a dramatically shorter hospital stay. While no recurrence was observed in both groups, post-procedure pain and foreign body sensation were reported by significantly more patients in UHS group. The cost was greater with TAPP. Taken together, we concluded that both UHS and TAPP are effective in the management of female FHs. In view of the advantages and disadvantages between the open and the laparoscopic operation, surgeons can select a procedure according to their skills and patients’ situation.