COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CONVENTIONAL AND MINIMALLY INVASIVE TECHNIQUES IN THE TREATMENT OF FEMORAL HERNIAS

Abstract

Despite the advances in medicine regarding diagnosis and therapeutic options, the treatment of femoral hernias remains a challenge for the surgeon. In the past, this type of hernia was repaired with conventional surgery. Today, mini-invasive techniques are preferred method of choice by many surgeons.
The aim of our study is to compare the results of open and minimally invasive surgery in patients with femoral hernias.
In the present study we include patients with primary unilateral femoral hernias operated in the Surgical Department of EUROHOSPITAL- Plovdiv and the Department of General Surgery of University Hospital “St. George” for the period January 2018 to December 2022. The patients were divided into two groups - conventional and minimally invasive operations. Comparative analysis was performed regarding sex, age, duration of operative intervention, postoperative pain, hospital stay and complications.
33 patients in total were diagnosed and operated for femoral hernias for a period of 5 years. Of these, 16 patients were operated conventionally and 17 underwent laparoscopic surgery. Patients in the minimally-invasive group had a significantly shorter hospital stay (2.1 vs 3.0 days) and less postoperative pain (1.8 vs 3.6 on the 1 to 5 scale). The incidence of the postoperative complications was similar in both groups.
Surgery is the only method of treatment of femoral hernias. Nowadays, minimally invasive techniques became a method of choice compared with conventional surgery. We believe that laparoscopic operations for femoral hernia, performed by experienced surgeon, are effective and safe and could be applied to all type of patients.