YAHYA OZEL, YALÇIN BURAK KARA
Southern Clinics of Istanbul Eurasia - 2024;35(4):364-370
Objective: Inguinal hernia (IH) is one of the common diseases encountered in general surgery. Laparoscopic techniques are recommended and preferred surgical methods for inguinal hernia today due to their advantages. There are various published studies regarding the learning curve (LC) of the TAPP technique, one of the laparoscopic methods. In our study, we aimed to compare the LC of TAPP herniorrhaphy performed by a surgeon without supervisor support after TEP experience with that of a surgeon without laparoscopic hernia experience under supervision. Methods: In our study, patients who underwent laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair at our clinic between 2011 and 2024 were analyzed. Patients operated on by a surgeon who transitioned to TAPP herniorrhaphy without supervision after gaining experience in TEP were designated as Group-1, while patients operated on by a surgeon performing TAPP herniorrhaphy under supervision were designated as Group 2. In both groups, the first 100 patients who underwent primary TAPP herniorrhaphy were retrospectively evaluated for operative times, conversion rates to open surgery, and complications, with learning curve data generated. Results: In this study, a total of 128 patients (64 patients in each group) who underwent TAPP herniorrhaphy for primary unilateral inguinal hernia were evaluated. There was no significant difference between the two groups in demographic features (p>0.05). No significant difference was found between the groups according to the Nyhus classification (p>0.05). No difference was observed between the groups in terms of postoperative complications (p>0.05). In the analyses performed for the LC, it was seen that the ideal number of surgeries for Group-1 was 19, and for Group-2 it was 26, and it was not statistically significant (p>0.05). Conclusion: The learning curve in TAPP surgeries performed under supervision showing similar results to those of surgeons experienced in TEP indicates the potential importance of supervisory support in the learning process.
