[Evaluation of inguinal hernia management in ambulatory surgery]

To evaluate the prospects of ambulatory surgery for inguinal hernia.

From January 1995 to June 2001, 599 operations on inguinal hernias were performed. Patients were composed of 554 men and 45 women. The average age was 58 years (7-95). All patients were examined by their primary doctor on the first and the third day, and by the surgeon on the 10th day.

Four hundred and eighty-one patients were operated on by ambulatory surgery (80.3%). The "Tension-free" technique was carried out among 495 patients (82.6%). Loco-regional anaesthesia was used for 499 patients (83.3%). The postoperative rate of complications was 10.4% (62 patients). Only 201 patients presented postoperative painful symptomatology (33.6%), 341 a discomfort (56.9%), and 57 (10%) experienced no pain. The overall satisfaction rate was 92.9%.

Use of the "Tension-free" technique under loco-regional anaesthesia for inguinal hernias allows ambulatory surgery with a low rate of complications and high satisfaction for the patients.