Laparoscopic hernia repair during Covid times: short-term results from a centre of excellence

Background: The current COVID (Corona Virus Disease) era has brought out many questions which are still unanswered. Safety regarding treatment of non-COVID ailments has become a major concern. The aim of this study is to present short-term results, to assess the safety and feasibility of Laparoscopic hernia repair in the COVID times. Patients and Methods: This is a retrospective study from a prospective data base carried from 25th March 2020 till September 30th 2020. Total of 47 patients underwent laparoscopic hernia repair at our centre and 2 underwent laparoscopic retrieval of infected mesh. A novel technique of smoke evacuation was used during laparoscopic surgeries. Results: 44 patients underwent elective surgery & 5 on emergency basis.16 underwent laparoscopic surgery for groin hernia and 31 for Ventral hernia. 2 patients were operated for mesh infection. 5 patients were tested positive on RT-PCR in the pre-operative evaluation. There was no major intraoperative complications. Conclusion: Laparoscopic hernia repair is safe and feasible in the COVID era, provided all the precautions are followed according to the approved guidelines. However, the sample size of our study is small and the follow up of patients is short term.