ETEP reduces post-operative pain compared to IPOM+ in hernia repair

Enhanced total extraperitoneal repair (ETEP) was compared with intraperitoneal onlay mesh repair-plus (IPOM+) for midline ventral hernia repair in a randomized trial involving 48 patients. Results indicated that ETEP had significantly longer operative times but resulted in notably lower pain scores at 6 and 24 hours, with fewer patients requiring rescue analgesia. Complications and recurrence rates remained similar for both techniques, underscoring ETEP’s potential as an effective alternative despite its longer procedure duration.