TRANSINGUINAL LAPAROSCOPIC EXAMINATION OF THE CONTRALATERAL GROIN IN PEDIATRIC HERNIORRHAPHY

The authors laparoscopically assessed the contralateral groin (CG) via the symptomatic inguinal hernia in 91 patients to avoid unnecessary C G exploration and to allow for identification of asymptomatic CG herni as. Once the symptomatic hernia sac was opened, a 4.5-mm trocar was pl aced intraperitoneally and the CG internal ring was inspected with a 4 -mm laparoscope. When compared with the authors' previous surgical pol icy for routine CG exploration in children younger than 2 years of age , laparoscopic findings altered the procedure performed in 42, of 91 p atients (46.2%). In patients younger than 2 years of age, the CG did n ot require repair of an unsuspected hernia in 55.9% of patients based on laparoscopic findings. Conversely, in children 2 years of age or ol der, 40.4% required CG repairs of unsuspected hernias or patent proces sus vaginalis (PPV). Transinguinal laparoscopic examination in pediatr ic herniorrhaphy provides important information about the CG without t he need for additional trocar sites.