Before we talk about minimally invasive surgery, it is important to first clarify what minimally invasive surgery means. As the name implies, minimally invasive means very little trauma or less traumatic than traditional methods. But there is a prerequisite that the treatment effect should be good, or at least not shrink. In terms of surgical approaches for inguinal hernia, there are currently two types that meet the requirements of minimally invasive: local anesthesia surgery and laparoscopic surgery. Both procedures are tension-free preperitoneal repairs, which means that the patch is placed in the preperitoneal space, only the means to achieve it are different. Since there are two methods, there is a comparison. So, what are those differences between these two approaches? Please scroll down to see. In comparing several key indicators, such as recurrence rate, incidence of chronic postoperative pain, and number of days in the hospital, there is no significant difference between the two. The main differences between the two are the following: 1. fasting: local anesthesia surgery does not require fasting before and after surgery, while lumpectomy does. 2, anesthesia: lumpectomy requires general anesthesia with tracheal intubation, while local anesthesia is not required. 3.Urinary catheterization: Most cases of lumpectomy require urinary catheterization, while local anesthesia surgery does not. 4.Bed rest: Patients can get out of bed after local anesthesia surgery, while lumpectomy needs to wait for anesthesia recovery. Incision size and postoperative incision pain: local anesthesia incision is about 4-6cm, lumpectomy incision is about 2-3cm; the incision pain of local anesthesia surgery is slightly heavier than that of lumpectomy incision within 1-2 days after surgery, but there is no significant difference from the third day onwards. 6, physical condition: lumpectomy requires patients to be able to tolerate general anesthesia for tracheal intubation, while local anesthesia surgery only requires patients to be able to take care of themselves. In general, local anesthesia surgery is to exchange 1-2 days of postoperative discomfort for preoperative and intraoperative freedom from fasting and urinary catheterization. For patients in poorer health it means the opportunity for surgical treatment. A lumpectomy, on the other hand, is a more complex preparation and procedure in exchange for a faster recovery effort. Therefore, I recommend that elderly patients opt for local anesthesia surgery as much as possible to reduce the risk of surgery. Younger patients who are physically strong but more time constrained may consider lumpectomy. Of course, a hernia that is too large is still best operated on with local anesthesia, because a hernia that enters the scrotum a lot will most likely not be completed with laparoscopic surgery.