Quantifying the cost of laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair

Background Laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair has been widely adopted. While the clinical advantages and disadvantages are well-quantified, the economic cost is less well-studied. Methods A retrospective audit and case review of a single-centre public hospital consecutive case series was performed using data captured from real-time stock usage tracking technology and review of electronic medical records. Results Laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair requires 11-min (21%) extra theatre time and costs $1268 (370%) more for single-use disposable equipment and prostheses. Conclusions Laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair does not require significantly more theatre time, but has a higher short-term in-hospital cost. Repair technique should be tailored according to patient factors.