Laparoscopic percutaneous extraperitoneal closure compared to open repair for recurrent inguinal hernias in children: A multicenter retrospective study

Laparoscopic percutaneous extraperitoneal closure (LPEC) is a common procedure for pediatric inguinal hernia repair, in which the hernial sac is closed via an extraperitoneal approach by using a special needle. Recurrence of inguinal hernias after repair is rare; therefore, few studies on LPEC for pediatric recurrent inguinal hernias (PRIHs) have been conducted, and all of those have comprised small samples. Consequently, we conducted a multicenter study to describe the surgical outcomes of LPEC for PRIHs (LPEC group) compared with those of open repair (open group).