Journal of robotic surgery
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Comparative Study
Comparison of robotic versus laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) inguinal hernia repair.
Despite growing popularity and potential advantages of robotics in general surgery, there is very little published data regarding robotic inguinal hernia repair. This study examines a single surgeon's early experience with robotic TAPP inguinal hernia repair compared with laparoscopic TAPP repair in terms of feasibility and cost. We performed a retrospective review of 63 consecutive patients (24 laparoscopic and 39 robotic) who underwent inguinal hernia repair between December 2012-December 2014 at a single institution by a single surgeon. ⋯ Robotic TAPP inguinal hernia repair had longer operative times, but patients spent less time in recovery and noted less pain than patients who underwent laparoscopic TAPP inguinal hernia repair. The direct cost and contribution margin are nearly equivalent. These results should allow the continued investigation of this technique without concern over excess cost.