To observe the efficiency and effect of applying unilateral trocar arrangement combined with lateral approach in laparoscopic trans-abdominal preperitoneal hernia repair (TAPP).

From January 2018 to January 2019, 62 patients with inguinal hernia who met the inclusion criteria and underwent TAPP in the Department of General Surgery of Southern Theater General Hospital. All the eligible patients were randomly divided into two groups by random number table method: the control group (30 cases) was operated with the conventional "seven-step" procedure, while the experimental group (32 cases) was operated with unilateral trocar arrangement combined with lateral approach. The two groups were compared in terms of age, gender, body mass index (BMI), hernia type, hernia sac management method, operation time, intra-operative blood loss, postoperative complications and recurrence rate.

The average operation time of the experimental group and the control group was (48.47±7.34) min and (64.57±7.51) min, respectively, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (t=-8.537, P<0.001). There were no significant differences in age, gender, BMI, hernia type and hernia sac management between the two groups (P>0.05). There were no significant differences in terms of incidence of seroma, intra-operative blood loss and postoperative VAS score (P>0.05). There were no cases of mesh infection or hernia recurrence after operation in the two groups by the end of observation.

Compared with the conventional "seven-step" procedure, the unilateral trocar arrangement combined with lateral approach could reduce operation time in TAPP, without increasing the intra-operative blood loss, postoperative complications and hernia recurrence.