Short-term outcomes of robotic eTEP versus TAPP for ventral hernia repair: insights from a propensity-matched cohort

Area of Science:

• Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Surgical Oncology
• Robotic Surgery

Background:

• Robotic ventral hernia repair (rVHR) offers improved surgical precision and patient recovery.
• Direct comparative data between enhanced-view totally extraperitoneal (eTEP) and transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) approaches in rVHR is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the safety and clinical outcomes of eTEP versus TAPP in robotic ventral hernia repair.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective cohort study of 117 patients undergoing rVHR (82 eTEP, 35 TAPP).
• Propensity score matching (1:1) created comparable groups (33 patients each).
• Data collected included demographics, operative details, and postoperative outcomes; analyzed using SPSS (p < 0.05 significance).

Main Results:

• eTEP had longer operative times (115 vs. 83 min) and larger mesh sizes (420 vs. 195 cm²).
• Surgical drains were more common with eTEP (48.4% vs. 3%).
• No significant differences in postoperative outcomes, hospital stay, pain, or surgical site occurrences (SSOs) between groups.

Conclusions:

• Both eTEP and TAPP are safe and effective for rVHR, yielding comparable clinical outcomes.
• The increased operative time and mesh size in eTEP suggest its utility in complex ventral hernias requiring detailed reconstruction.