Background: Para-umbilical hernia (PUH) is a common ventral hernia occurring near the umbilicus, where the abdominal wall weakens, leading to the protrusion of intra-abdominal contents. This study aimed to compare the short-term outcomes of laparoscopic and open repair of para-umbilical hernia, focusing on operative time, postoperative pain, complications, hospital stay length, and early recurrence rates.Materials and Methods: A prospective comparative study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital, including 110 patients diagnosed with para-umbilical hernia. Patients were randomly assigned into two groups: Group A (Laparoscopic Repair, n=55), undergoing intraperitonealonlay mesh (IPOM) repair, and Group B (Open Repair, n=55), undergoing conventional open mesh repair. The primary outcomes assessed were operative time, postoperative pain (measured using the Visual Analogue Scale), and hospital stay duration. Secondary outcomes included postoperative complications such as wound infection, seroma, hematoma, and early recurrence within three months. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 25.0, with a p-value <0.05 considered statistically significant.Results: The mean operative time was significantly shorter in the laparoscopic group (62.4 ± 8.2 minutes) than in the open repair group (74.5 ± 9.6 minutes) (p < 0.001). Postoperative pain scores were consistently lower in the laparoscopic group at all time points, with a significant difference observed at 6 hours (3.2 ± 1.1 vs. 5.4 ± 1.3, p < 0.001). The length of hospital stay was significantly shorter in the laparoscopic group (1.8 ± 0.5 days) compared to the open repair group (3.2 ± 0.8 days) (p < 0.001). The incidence of postoperative complications, including wound infection (3.64% vs. 10.91%) and seroma formation (5.45% vs. 14.55%), was lower in the laparoscopic group, though not statistically significant. Early recurrence was slightly lower in the laparoscopic group (1.82% vs. 5.45%), but the difference was not significant (p = 0.31).Conclusion: Laparoscopic repair of para-umbilical hernia is associated with a significantly shorter operative time, reduced postoperative pain, and a shorter hospital stay compared to open repair. Although postoperative complications and early recurrence rates were lower in the laparoscopic group, the differences were not statistically significant. These findings suggest that laparoscopic repair may be a preferable approach for para-umbilical hernia repair, but further studies are needed to evaluate long-term outcomes.