To explore the effect of preperitoneal negative pressure drainage in reducing the occurrence of postoperative seroma during laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair and the long-term safety of this technique.

This study is a retrospective and observational study. Data were retrospectively collected on patients undergoing laparoscopic unilateral inguinal hernia repair at the Gastrointestinal Surgery Department of Hong Kong University Shenzhen Hospital, between May 2016 and May 2020. There are 457 data available, 420 males and 37 females. The surgical procedure included laparoscopic complete extraperitoneal inguinal hernia repair (290 cases) and laparoscopic transperitoneal inguinal hernia repair (167 cases). According to whether a negative pressure drain is placed intraoperatively, it was divided into a drainage group and a control group: 102 patients in the TEP drainage group and 188 patients in the control group; 53 patients in the TAPP drainage group and 114 patients in the control group. Perioperative data and long-term follow-up data were compared between the two groups.

The incidence of seroma at 1 day and 7 days after surgery was lower than that of the control group, with a statistically significant difference (TEP χ²=10.213, P=0.001, χ²=37.313, P<0.001; TAPP χ²=5.240, P=0.022, χ²=6.216, P=0.013). There was no significant difference between the drainage group in the operation time, postoperative hospitalization time, chronic pain, wound infection at 1 month, 6 months and 3 years of long-term follow-up (P>0.05)

In the laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair, a retained negative pressure drainage tube in the preperitoneal space can effectively reduce the occurrence of early postoperative seroma. This technique was followed up for 3 years and proved to be safe and effective without increasing pain, risk of infection and no mesh infection.