Open and laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair in children: A regional experience

•In a defined population of pediatric patients, laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair resulted in a modest decrease in the incidence of metachronous hernias at the cost of a signicant increase in recurrence.•The recurrence rate did not decrease with time.•The study reflects a "real world" experience with multiple surgeons, at different stages in their career, with variable laparoscopic skills, performing inguinal hernia repairs.•Pediatric surgeons adopting laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair should closely audit their outcomes.