What are the advantages of laparoscopic surgery for pediatric inguinal hernia?

  Inguinal hernia is a common pediatric surgical condition that presents as a reversible swelling in the inguinal to scrotal region. It can be observed up to one year of age and may heal spontaneously in some children. After one year of age, surgery should be performed.  Traditionally, a transverse or oblique incision is made above the inguinal area to locate the unclosed peritoneal sheath, which is sutured and ligated. In contrast, laparoscopic surgery involves making two small incisions through the abdomen, inserting a 3-5 mm diameter laparoscope and operating instruments, and suturing the unclosed peritoneal sheath from within the abdomen.  Compared with traditional surgical methods, laparoscopic surgery has the following advantages: 1. Small wounds and aesthetic appearance. Although there are 2 wounds, each wound is less than 1 cm, and one of them is still inside the navel, which is almost invisible after healing.  2. Small trauma. The surgery does not pass through the inguinal canal and does not affect its normal anatomical structure.  3, laparoscopy has a magnifying effect, generally 3-8 times that of direct vision surgery, and the tissue is more clearly identified during the operation.  4, do one side of the operation at the same time can explore the opposite side of the peritoneal sheath, if it is not closed can be sutured at the same time, to avoid the problem of re-operation later.  5, the disadvantage of laparoscopic surgery is that the cost is relatively high, in addition to the use of tracheal intubation general anesthesia, some parents have concerns. In fact, general anesthesia is now very safe.  Like traditional surgery, laparoscopic surgery can also have certain risks and complications. However, it is no less safe than traditional surgery when performed by an experienced surgeon. Laparoscopic surgery has been adopted as the standard procedure for the treatment of pediatric inguinal hernia in many hospitals.