Day-case laparoscopic hernia repair in a single unit

Background: Laparoscopic groin hernia repair has been shown to be a safe, well-tolerated procedure. Here, we report a series of patients who underwent laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) mesh repair as day cases. Results: We performed 984 repairs on 769 patients, 218 had bilateral repairs. Mean operating time was 25 min for unilateral and 38 min for bilateral repairs. Three were converted, and 39 required admission. Five were readmitted more than 48 h postoperatively. Three required reoperation for small bowel obstruction from herniation through a peritoneal defect. Only 57% of patients required analgesia for a mean of 1.9 days after discharge. Recovery times were similar for unilateral and bilateral herniae. Eight hernias have recurred to date. Conclusions: Laparoscopic hernia repair is suitable for day-case surgery for unilateral, bilateral, and recurrent herniae. TAPP repair allows inspection of the contralateral groin, with repair of defects as necessary.