Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Telescopic Dissection vs. Balloon Dissection During Laparoscopic TEP Inguinal Hernia Repair

Minimally invasive approaches have been successfully incorporated into the surgical armamentarium of inguinal hernia repair, with proven benefits for decreased postoperative pain and earlier return to work. Laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair is more commonly performed through the transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) approach or the totally extraperitoneal (TEP) approach. The TEP approach has been proven to have equivalent recurrence rates, decreased postoperative pain, earlier ambulation and return to work when compared to the open, tension-free repairs. Additionally, when compared to TAPP, the TEP approach has also been associated with decreased postoperative pain, shorter operative times and equivalent rates of postoperative complications and hernia recurrence.

A key step in the TEP procedure is the creation of the extraperitoneal space, which can be performed by two different techniques: telescopic dissection or balloon dissection.Telescopic dissection is the creation of the extraperitoneal space with blunt dissection performed with the laparoscopic probe. Telescopic dissection was initially described in the original paper describing the TEP procedure, in 1992 by Ferzli et al. To date, telescopic dissection is still used in many centers around the globe. In order to facilitate the creation of the initial working space, disposable dissection balloons have been developed and are commercially available. Balloon dissection is now the most commonly used method for creation of the extraperitoneal space for TEP procedure in the United States. A randomized, prospective multicenter study conducted between 1994 and 1997 and published in 2001 by Bringmam and colleagues has compared operative times, conversion rates, postoperative morbidity and time to return to work between patients in which the TEP procedure was performed with or without the balloon dissector. In this study, the use of the balloon was associated with lower conversion rates and statistically, but perhaps not clinically, significantly shorter operative times (9 minutes difference). No difference was seen in postoperative morbidity, recurrence rates or time to return to work between the groups. Of note, the surgeons performing these procedures were still at an early point of their learning curve for the TEP procedure, which might have influenced the results, especially for the group without the balloon.

Low-cost alternatives have been proposed to substitute the commercially available balloon dissector, especially in developing countries where the access to the balloon dissector is restricted. Despite the fact that the TEP procedure has become more popular in the last 15 years, with surgeons being each time more proficient in this operation, there is a paucity of data comparing cost and surgical outcomes among telescopic and balloon dissection.

Furthermore, according to current consensus, the use of a balloon dissector is especially recommended during the learning period when surgeons are still unfamiliar with the preperitoneal anatomy. Especially for expert surgeons, delineation of the inguinal area and dissection in the creation of extraperitoneal space can be performed as safe and efficient with telescopic dissection.

The investigator's institution has in its staff, three expert surgeons, with a robust experience in the TEP procedure, performed either telescopic or balloon dissection. To help determine if the use of the balloon dissector is associated with a significant decrease in operative times when compared to telescopic dissection, the investigators aim to conduct a randomized controlled trial using the Americas Hernia Society Quality Collaborative (AHSQC) registry. The AHSQC is a nationwide registry designed to improve the value of hernia care using real-time continuous quality improvement principles. Data pertaining to baseline and intraoperative variables, short and long term outcomes are collected prospectively for quality improvement purposes. The information collected in the AHSQC offers a natural repository of information that can be used for research, in addition to its quality improvement purpose.