Emergency vs. elective inguinal hernia repairs: early differences with similar long-term outcomes

Area of Science:

• Surgical Outcomes
• Hernia Repair
• Patient Morbidity

Background:

• Emergency inguinal hernia repair is linked to increased perioperative risks.
• Longer-term outcomes following emergency versus elective inguinal hernia repair are not well-established.
• Understanding mid-term results is crucial for comprehensive patient care and surgical decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare mid-term recurrence and chronic pain rates between emergency and elective inguinal hernia repairs.
• To evaluate the association of emergency repair with early postoperative morbidity.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of adult patients undergoing inguinal hernia repair between 2022 and 2024.
• Comparison of demographic and perioperative data between emergency (n=26) and elective (n=374) repair groups.
• Prospective follow-up at 12-18 months to assess recurrence and chronic pain (≥6 months).

Main Results:

• Emergency repair patients were older, with longer operative times and hospital stays.
• Surgical site infection within 90 days was significantly higher after emergency repair (7.7% vs. 1.3%).
• Mid-term recurrence (3.8% vs. 3.5%) and chronic pain (11.5% vs. 13.4%) rates were comparable between groups.

Conclusions:

• Emergency inguinal hernia repair is associated with increased early postoperative morbidity.
• Mid-term rates of hernia recurrence and chronic pain are similar for both emergency and elective repairs.
• While early risks are higher, emergency repair does not appear to compromise longer-term outcomes regarding recurrence or pain.