Herniamed: an internet-based registry for outcome research in hernia surgery

Area of Science:

• Surgical outcome research
• Medical device evaluation
• Hernia surgery quality improvement

Background:

• Inguinal hernia surgery recurrence and chronic pain rates exceed 10% in Germany, despite advancements in meshes and fixation techniques.
• A Danish hernia register demonstrated significant reductions in recurrence rates, highlighting the potential of such initiatives.
• High rates of recurrence and chronic pain post-hernia surgery necessitate improved monitoring and outcome research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish an application-oriented outcome research tool for monitoring hernia surgery implementation and effectiveness.
• To evaluate the clinical application of evidence-based science in everyday surgical practice.
• To improve patient care quality and gather valid data for hernia surgery outcome research.

Main Methods:

• Development of a new, internet-based, English- and German-language registry for all inpatient and outpatient hernia surgeries.
• Inclusion of comprehensive patient data: comorbidities, previous operations, staging, surgical techniques, medical devices, complications, and follow-up.
• Implementation of an evaluation statistics tool for participating hospitals and surgeons to access their own data.

Main Results:

• The registry covers a wide spectrum of hernias, including inguinal, umbilical, incisional, epigastric, parastomal, and hiatus hernias.
• The online registry adheres to strict data protection standards.
• Participating institutions can access real-time data analysis for quality assessment.

Conclusions:

• An internet-based hernia register provides a novel instrument for comprehensive outcome research in hernia surgery.
• This registry facilitates continuous quality improvement in hernia repair.
• The tool supports evidence-based practice by bridging the gap between research and clinical application.