Recurrent inguinal hernia in a preschool girl treated laparoscopically with a preperitoneal transabdominal technique and polypropylene mesh: an alternative in complex cases.

We report the case of a 4-year-old girl treated by a laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) technique with polypropylene mesh in whom a primary contralateral hernia was found and repaired, closing the orifice with a suture. This 4-year-old female had a medical history of clubfoot treated by surgery during her first year of age, ureteral reimplantation because of stenosis, and laparoscopic cholecystectomy because of hydrocholecystis. She had recurrence 1 year after a conventional inguinal herniorraphy and was treated by the TAPP technique with polypropylene mesh. A primary contralateral hernia was found and repaired, and the orifice was closed with a suture. The child's acceptance of the procedure was good, and the postoperative evolution was uneventful, requiring minimal analgesia in the first 24 h. She was discharged the following day. Two years later, there have been no recurrences, and the girl is developing and carrying out activities in a normal way. The open technique remains the gold standard for hernioplasty in children, but laparoscopy may be an option, and it is possible that in some special cases, the use of mesh to reinforce the inguinal wall using the TAPP technique, although it is controversial, may be justified.