THE VERY FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH eTEP IN OUR DEPARTMENT

Abstract

Abstract Background Nowadays the main method everybody is talking about in ventral hernia repair is eTEP. The retromuscular hernia repair seems to be the gold standard for ventral hernias. The occurrence of ventral hernias is around 20% for primary and 30% for incisional hernias following the midline incisions. There is a surge of surgeons who are diving into this relatively new mini-invasive method. Until 2022 we performed only open ventral hernia repairs. Therefore, we have decided that we cannot be stuck "in the past" and started our long way of learning and improving in the eTEP field. Method We have run a retrospective trial looking at our small cohort of patients with ventral hernias that have undergone eTEP procedure at our department in the University hospital. We have specifically focused on the conversion rate to open surgery, possible complications, operating times, and postoperative complications. Results 14 patients have successfully undergone the eTEP hernia repair. We had to convert 5 of those cases. The main surgical accident resulting in conversion was the perforation of peritoneum and entering the abdominal cavity. There were no sever complications and the most common postoperative complication was hematoma with no need of surgical revision. Conclusion Our first experience with the eTEP has been challenging and as the results show that we need to improve in many surgical categories. Especially in developing the retromuscular space. Also, lately we have managed to schedule easier cases with primary hernias and the results became better immediately.