A Prospective Study on Early Postoperative Outcomes Following Laparoscopic and Open Ventral Hernia Repair

Author(s): Syeda Mehbuba Joty, Ferdous Alam, Ayesha Rahman, Hasnat Zaman Zim, S. M. Syeed-Ul Alam, Nazia Mahzabin, Bidyut Chandra Debnath, Ashok Kumar Sarker?, Md. Aminul Islam Joarder

Background: Ventral hernia repair is a common surgical procedure that involves evolving approaches. Laparoscopic repair is increasingly performed due to its potential to minimize postoperative morbidity; however, evidence from Bangladesh remains limited. This study aimed to compare the early postoperative outcomes between laparoscopic and open ventral hernia repair in a tertiary-care setting.

Methods: This prospective comparative study was conducted at the Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital and Enam Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, from January 2024 to July 2025. Seventy-eight patients with ventral hernias were randomized into two equal groups: laparoscopic (n = 39) and open (n = 39). Data on the perioperative outcomes, hospital stay, return to activity and early post-operative complications were collected and analyzed using SPSS 25.0.

Results: The mean operative time was longer for laparoscopic repair (110.5 ± 28.6 min vs. 85.2 ± 22.1 min, p < 0.001). However, laparoscopic repair resulted in significantly less blood loss (40 ± 25 mL vs. 120 ± 90 mL), lower pain scores, fewer analgesic doses, shorter hospital stay (2.8 ± 1.4 days vs. 5.6 ± 2.9 days) and earlier return to activity (10 days vs. 22 days). However, the mesh-related complications were collectively higher after laparoscopic repair (25.6% vs. 5.1%).

Conclusion: Laparoscopic ventral hernia repair provides superior shortterm recovery benefits but carries an increased risk of wound and meshrelated complications. The choice of technique should therefore be individualized, balancing recovery advantages against the higher risk of mesh-specific morbidity.