Robotic transabdominal preperitoneal ventral hernia repair (rTAPP VHR)

Ventral hernia repair is a focus of surgery that is continually evolving with innovative techniques and instruments. The emergence of minimally invasive robotic-assisted approaches to hernia repair has allowed many benefits to surface for both the patient and the surgeon. The robotic trans-abdominal preperitoneal approach to ventral hernia repair has incorporated the novel techniques provided by the robot with the well-established principles learned from both open surgery and conventional laparoscopic surgery. The primary principles of rTAPP involve a comprehensive knowledge of anatomical planes, preperitoneal dissection, reduction of the hernia sac, primary repair of the defect, and placement of an uncoated mesh within the preperitoneal space with wide overlap. When deciding on a surgical plan for a ventral hernia, the authors believe that the approach, instruments, and devices should be tailored to each patient and hernia on a case-by-case basis.