UNASSIGNED: Pantaloon hernia (PH), defined as concurrent ipsilateral direct and indirect inguinal hernias, is known for its high postoperative recurrence rate. This study retrospectively investigated the characteristics of PHs and evaluated the safety and efficacy of incorporating laparoscopic iliopubic tract repair (IPTR) into transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) hernioplasty.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 3,355 patients who underwent TAPP hernioplasty for groin hernias between October 2014 and December 2021 were analyzed. These patients were divided into 2 groups: PH (97 patients) and non-PH (3,258 patients). The PH group was further subdivided based on the surgical technique used: TAPP hernioplasty without IPTR (TAPP group, 39 patients) and TAPP hernioplasty with IPTR for defect closure (TAPP + IPTR group, 58 patients).
UNASSIGNED: The study included 93 male and 4 female patients with PH. Patients with PH were generally older and predominantly male compared to the non-PH group. The recurrence rate in the PH group was notably higher than in the non-PH group (2.1% [2 of 97] vs. 0.2% [6 of 3,258], respectively; P = 0.007). Among the PH group, reoperations were more frequent in the TAPP group compared to the TAPP + IPTR group (10.3% [4 of 39] vs. 0% [0 of 58], respectively; P = 0.048). The reasons for reoperation in the PH group included recurrences (2 patients), mesh bulge (1 patient), and chronic seroma (1 patient).
UNASSIGNED: TAPP + IPTR hernioplasty is an acceptable approach in PH treatment, reducing reoperation.

OBJECTIVE: Metachronous contralateral inguinal hernia (MCIH) may occur after unilateral inguinal hernia (IH) repair, potentially as a result of occult IH (OIH). Contralateral OIH can be checked for during laparoscopic transabdominal hernioplasty for the treatment of unilateral IH. This study aims to assess the efficacy of laparoscopic iliopubic tract repair (IPTR) in treating contralateral OIH to reduce MCIH.
METHODS: The medical charts of 3165 patients aged > 18 years who underwent laparoscopic transabdominal hernioplasty for unilateral IH from January 2013 to December 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were categorized into two groups based on contralateral OIH presence: negative OIH (nOIH, 2657 patients) and OIH (508 patients). In cases of OIH, IPTR was performed, involving suturing of the iliopubic tract and transversalis fascia arch.
RESULTS: MCIH was indirect in 26 and direct in 4 patients in the nOIH group, and was direct in 3 patients in the OIH group. The incidence of indirect MCIH was higher in the nOIH group than in the OIH (1.0% [n = 26/2657] vs. 0.0% [n = 0/508], p = 0.048). There was no difference in postoperative complication rates, pain scores, return to daily life, or duration of hospitalization between the nOIH and OIH groups.
CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic IPTR for OIH treatment is an effective method for reducing the risk of indirect MCIH.

An encysted spermatic cord hydrocele (ESCH) causes an inguinal swelling resembling an inguinal hernia (IH). An ESCH should be considered as a differential diagnosis of IH. Although laparoscopic operations have been performed to treat ESCHs in pediatric patients, such operations have not been reported in adults. This study was performed to evaluate the outcomes of laparoscopic hydrocelectomy for treatment of ESCHs in adults.
The medical charts of 49 patients who underwent laparoscopic transabdominal hydrocelectomy for ESCHs from January 2015 to December 2020 at a single institution were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into those with and without an IH. Laparoscopic hydrocelectomy was performed, and the internal inguinal ring was closed with iliopubic tract repair (IPTR) or transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) hernioplasty depending on the presence of an IH. The patients\' age, ESCH location, postoperative complications, recurrence, and operating time were examined.
The patients\' mean age was 46.7 (20-77) years. All patients underwent laparoscopic hydrocelectomy without open conversion. ESCHs were more common on the right side (35/49, 71.4%) than on the left (14/49, 28.6%). The presenting symptom in all patients was inguinal swelling. The ESCH was located inside the inguinal canal in 47 patients and protruded to the abdominal cavity from the inguinal canal in 2 patients. After laparoscopic hydrocelectomy, 32 patients without an IH underwent IPTR and 17 patients with an IH underwent TAPP hernioplasty. The mean operating time was shorter in the IPTR than TAPP hernioplasty group. The postoperative complications and hospital stay were not different between the two groups. There were no recurrences in either group.
Laparoscopic hydrocelectomy with IPTR or TAPP hernioplasty is safe and feasible for treatment of ESCHs in adults.

Background: Encysted hydrocele of the canal of Nuck (EHCN) is homologous to spermatic cord hydrocele in males. EHCN causes swelling in the inguinal region and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of inguinal hernias and masses in females. Complete excision and internal inguinal ring closure are the recommended treatments for symptomatic EHCN. In this study, we aimed at evaluating the safety and feasibility of laparoscopic hydrocelectomy, as well as age-appropriate procedures for EHCN. Materials and Methods: The medical records of 161 female adults and children, who underwent laparoscopic transabdominal hydrocelectomy from January 2014 to December 2020 at a single institution, were reviewed retrospectively and symptoms, location of EHCN, type of fluid in EHCN, postoperative complications, recurrence, and operating time were analyzed. Laparoscopic hydrocelectomy was performed and the internal inguinal ring was closed with high ligation in children and iliopubic tract repair (IPTR) in adults. Results: Fifty-two pediatric (age 2-11 years) and 109 adult (age 21-51 years) female patients were included. More adult patients had inguinal pain (34.9%, 38/109) compared with children (3.8% 2/52) (P < .001). More EHCNs were located in the inguinal canal than protruding into the abdominal cavity in both groups. Regarding the fluid characteristics, hemorrhagic and inflammatory hydroceles were more common in adults than in children (P < .001). There were no serious complications, neither recurrence nor chronic pain was observed in either group except for a surgical-site hematoma in 1 adult patient. Conclusion: Laparoscopic hydrocelectomy together with additional age-appropriate procedures, including high ligation in children and IPTR in adults, is a safe and feasible method for treating EHCN.

Background: In patients with recurrent inguinal hernia (IH) after totally extraperitoneal (TEP) hernioplasty, re-TEP hernioplasty is difficult because of fibrotic adhesions. Re-laparoscopic hernioplasty is possible by changing the approach from extraperitoneal to transabdominal. If iliopubic tract repair (IPTR), mainly used in the past for the open approach, is added as a laparoscopic procedure, re-laparoscopic hernioplasty is possible when treating recurrent IH. We aimed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of alternate transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) hernioplasty supplemented by IPTR for treating recurrent IH after TEP hernioplasty. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 2600 patients with IHs who underwent TAPP hernioplasty from January 2015 to December 2020. Among patients with recurrent IH, those who underwent primary TEP were included in the study. For reoperation, TAPP hernioplasty was performed and IPTR was added. IPTR was performed by suture closure of the internal inguinal ring by the iliopubic tract and medial aponeurotic arch of the transversus abdominis muscle. Results: Of the 35 patients (33 males and 2 females) with recurrent IH after primary TEP hernioplasty, 51% (18/35) of patients had recurrence within 2 years of the first operation. There were 28 recurrent IHs of the same type as the original, and 7 cases of a different type. The mean TAPP operation time was 41 minutes. Chronic inguinodynia and re-recurrence was not observed. One patient had inferior epigastric vessel injury, which was successfully repaired. Conclusion: Adding laparoscopic IPTR to TAPP hernioplasty is safe feasible treatment for recurrent IH after TEP hernioplasty.

BACKGROUND: Indirect inguinal hernia with a dilated internal ring but an intact posterior inguinal wall is classified as Nyhus type II. Females have a higher incidence of indirect hernia than direct hernia. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of laparoscopic iliopubic tract repair (IPTR) compared with laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) hernioplasty in treating women with Nyhus type II hernia.
METHODS: This retrospective study included 318 women aged ≥ 20 years who were treated for Nyhus type II hernia from January 2013 to December 2018. The patients were categorized into two groups in accordance with the operative technique: the TAPP group (33 patients) and the IPTR group (285 patients). In the IPTR group, intraabdominal suturing of the iliopubic tract and transversalis fascia arch was performed without mesh implantation.
RESULTS: The mean operation time was shorter in the IPTR group (17.2 ± 3.9 min) than the TAPP group (20.5 ± 8.1 min, p = 0.028). The postoperative complication rate was higher in the TAPP group than the IPTR group [6.1% (2/33) vs. 0.4% (1/285), respectively; p = 0.001]. Inguinodynia occurred in one patient in the TAPP group and no patients in the IPTR group. The hospital stay did not significantly differ between the two groups. The numeral rating scale pain scores at 1 day and 1 week postoperatively did not significantly differ between the two groups. There was no recurrence in either group.
CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic IPTR was safe and feasible for treating Nyhus type II hernia in women.

The iliopubic tract repair was first introduced by Nyhus in 1959, as an open non-mesh posterior preperitoneal repair for inguinal hernia. We have adapted this repair using a robotic approach to offer a minimally invasive (MIS) non-mesh inguinal hernia repair, termed the robotic iliopubic tract (r-IPT) repair. The aim of this pilot study is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of this new technique.
Starting in 2015, patients were enrolled in a Phase I trial of r-IPT repair. Inclusion criteria included low-risk patients with small inguinal hernias. Using a robotic TAPP approach, the direct and/or indirect defects were repaired by approximating the transversalis arch to the iliopubic tract. This trial was then expanded in Phase II to include a wider range of patients. Outcomes were collected prospectively.
Twenty-four inguinal hernias were repaired in 13 patients via r-IPT as outpatients. Patients were followed for a mean of 24.9 months (range 2.7-55.3, median 24). There were no surgical site occurrences and no recurrences. One (7.7%) patient had acute post-operative genital branch neuralgia, which self-resolved. One (7.7%) patient has chronic pain.
The Nyhus-inspired robotic iliopubic tract (r-IPT) repair is an MIS approach to provide a non-mesh repair in inguinal hernia. The repair is safe with acceptable preliminary outcomes in low-risk patients. We propose the r-IPT repair to be a MIS option for non-mesh inguinal hernia repair in low-risk patients.

BACKGROUND: Pelvic fractures can occur in minor injuries, such as falls, in the elderly. Extensive adhesion of preperitoneal space is common after pelvic fracture surgery; hence, surgical interventions for inguinal hernia may be challenging. We treated a case of inguinal hernia after pelvic fracture surgery, using novel laparoscopic methods: iliopubic tract repair (IPTR) and modified intraperitoneal onlay mesh (mIPOM) approach.
METHODS: This is the case of an elderly male with pelvic fracture. Open reduction and internal fixation were performed. Eighteen months after the procedure, a right inguinal bulge appeared, swelling increased, and he opted for surgery. We chose laparoscopic surgery to determine the status of the hernia and anatomy around the pelvis. He was diagnosed with an indirect inguinal hernia, and the inner inguinal ring was widely open. We chose the mIPOM approach and IPTR. He was discharged on day 3 post-operation. He developed a seroma after surgery, which disappeared after a month. Six months post-operation, no recurrence or neurologic pain observed.
CONCLUSIONS: The transabdominal preperitoneal approach (TAPP) was initiated at first; however, the adhesion inside the inferior epigastric vessels was very strong, challenging to break into the preperitoneal space. We switched to the mIPOM method because the peritoneum was fragile and difficult to suture. Additionally, the internal ring was widely opened; hence, we proceeded with IPTR on confirmation that no tension on the abdominal wall was applied.
CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic surgery is useful in flexibility of surgical options, such as TAPP, IPTR, IPOM, in addition to hybrid conversion.

Many laparoscopic methods are available for treating pediatric inguinal hernias. Recurrence after laparoscopic pediatric inguinal hernia repair (LPIHR) is one of the greatest concerns for surgeons. The present study was performed to evaluate the effects of iliopubic tract repair in LPIHR with respect to the recurrence rate, surgical outcomes, and complications.
LPIHR was performed in 3386 pediatric patients aged < 10 years from January 2016 to June 2018. The patients were categorized into two groups according to the operative techniques: high ligation alone (1736 patients) and additional iliopubic tract repair (1650 patients). In high ligation surgery, the hernia sac was removed and the peritoneum was closed. In iliopubic tract repair surgery, iliopubic tract and transversalis fascia arch sutures were added.
Recurrence only occurred in the high ligation group; no patients in the iliopubic tract repair group developed recurrence [0.35% (6/1736) vs. 0.00% (0/1650), respectively; p = 0.014]. Other surgical outcomes and complications did not differ between the two groups. Six patients in the high ligation group developed recurrence: four infants aged < 1 year and two children aged > 1 year. The mean duration from the first operation to reoperation in these six patients was 11.8 months; five patients developed recurrence within 1 year after the initial operation. All patients had a recurrent indirect hernia, and the location of the hernial defects was on the medial side of the previous stitch. The logistic regression indicated that the difference between the two groups affected the recurrence rate. This finding predicted that iliopubic tract repair is associated with a lower recurrence rate than high ligation (odds ratio  0.996, 95% confidence interval 0.994-0.999, p = 0.015).
This study of transabdominal LPIHR indicates that iliopubic tract repair results in a small but significant decrease in the risk of recurrence.