Outcomes of laparoscopic inguinal herniorrhaphy in female pediatric patients, particularly those with ovarian hernias

Abstract Purpose Inguinal hernia in females may contain uterine adnexa. The common presentation is herniation of one ovary, but involvement of both ovaries in a unilateral hernial sac and simultaneous herniation of other organs are possible. Regardless, ovarian hernias have a high incarceration rate. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of laparoscopic inguinal herniorrhaphy in female pediatric patients, particularly those with ovarian hernias. Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 1185 female pediatric patients younger than 10 years who underwent laparoscopic herniorrhaphy from March 1, 2011 to November 30, 2016 at Damsoyu Hospital, Seoul, Korea. The clinical variables and characteristics of the patients were collected from the medical records. Results The most commonly protruding organ was the ovary in patients less than 1 year old and the omentum in those more than 2 years old (p  Conclusions In the majority of female inguinal hernia patients less than 1 year old, the ovary was contained in the hernia sac. This situation requires special precautions because of the high risk of incarceration and simultaneous protrusion of two organs. Laparoscopic intracorporeal reduction of an incarcerated organ can be easily performed to preserve several organs, including the ovaries, and might be a good surgical option for inguinal ovarian hernia.