To compare the clinical efficacy and safety of laparoscopic trans-abdominal preperitoneal hernia repair (TAPP) and Lichtenstein's tension-free hernia repair in the treatment of incarcerated inguinal hernia.

Clinical data of 118 patients with incarcerated inguinal hernia who underwent hernia repair surgery at Xiaogan No.1 People's Hospital in Hubei Province from January 2019 to December 2023 were retrospectively collected. The patients were divided into two groups based on the surgical method: the TAPP group (56 cases) underwent TAPP surgery, and the Lichtenstein group (62 cases) underwent Lichtenstein's procedure. The hospital stay, operative time, intraoperative blood loss, and postoperative pain visual analog scale (VAS) scores were compared between the two groups. Postoperative complications and follow-up recurrence rates were recorded and analyzed.

There was no statistically significant difference in operative time and postoperative recurrence rates between the TAPP group and the Lichtenstein group (P>0.05). The TAPP group showed significantly lower intraoperative blood loss, postoperative pain scores, and surgical complication rates compared to the Lichtenstein group, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05).

Both TAPP and Lichtenstein procedures are safe and effective for the treatment of incarcerated inguinal hernia. TAPP demonstrates advantages in terms of intraoperative blood loss, postoperative pain, and postoperative complications.