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Parental Satisfaction After Pediatric Inguinal Hernia Repair: Day Surgery Versus Conventional Hospitalization
Zenon Pogorelić1,2, Nikola Ljubić2, Marijana Rađa1
1Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia.
Insights
Day surgery for pediatric inguinal hernia repair is safe and effective, with similar pain outcomes to conventional hospitalization. However, improvements in communication and information are needed for better parental satisfaction in day surgery settings.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Healthcare Management
- Patient Satisfaction
Background:
- Comparing conventional hospitalization (CH) and day surgery (DS) for pediatric inguinal hernia repair is crucial for optimizing patient care.
- Parental satisfaction is a key metric for evaluating healthcare quality in pediatric surgical settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate differences in parental satisfaction between CH and DS for pediatric inguinal hernia repair.
- To compare postoperative pain, hospital stay, and clinical outcomes between the two treatment models.
Main Methods:
- A prospective cohort study involving 133 parents of children undergoing inguinal hernia repair.
- Utilized the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain assessment and the PedsQL™ 3.0 Healthcare Satisfaction-Parent Report for satisfaction.
- Compared outcomes between conventional hospitalization (n=65) and day surgery (n=68) groups.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in postoperative pain intensity between CH and DS groups.
- Higher parental satisfaction in CH for information provision, family participation, communication, and emotional support.
- Overall high satisfaction in both groups, with no significant differences in general or total satisfaction scores.
Conclusions:
- Day surgery is a safe and efficient model for pediatric inguinal hernia repair with comparable pain outcomes to CH.
- Targeted improvements in communication, emotional support, and information delivery are recommended for day surgery to enhance the family experience.
- Ambulatory pediatric surgical care can be optimized through focused enhancements in patient-centered communication and support.
Abstract:
Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate differences in parental satisfaction with healthcare provided to children undergoing inguinal hernia repair, comparing two organizational models of treatment: conventional hospitalization (CH) and day surgery (DS). Secondary objectives were to examine demographic characteristics, postoperative pain intensity, hospital stay duration, and clinical outcomes across groups. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted at the Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital of Split, between 1 May 2024 and 1 May 2025. A total of 133 parents of children who underwent primary inguinal hernia repair completed the study questionnaire. The sample included 105 boys and 28 girls, with a median age of 5 years (IQR 3-7). Participants were assigned to either CH (n = 65) or DS (n = 68). Pain intensity was measured using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), while parental satisfaction was assessed using the Croatian version of the PedsQL™ 3.0 Healthcare Satisfaction-Parent Report instrument. Results: Postoperative pain levels did not differ significantly between the CH and DS groups (p = 0.439). Parental satisfaction scores were high in both settings. However, CH was associated with significantly greater satisfaction in the domains of information provision (p = 0.042), family participation (p = 0.012), communication (p = 0.017), and emotional support (p = 0.031). No significant differences were observed in general satisfaction (p = 0.945), technical skills (p = 0.054), or total satisfaction scores (p = 0.055). Conclusions: Day surgery represents a safe and efficient treatment model for pediatric inguinal hernia, with comparable pain outcomes to conventional hospitalization. Although overall parental satisfaction was high in both groups, lower ratings in the DS group for communication, emotional support, and information provision highlight areas for targeted organizational and educational improvements to enhance the family experience in ambulatory pediatric surgical care.
