AIM: To evaluate the prospects of ambulatory surgery for inguinal hernia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 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. RESULTS: 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%. CONCLUSION: 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.
AIM: To evaluate the prospects of ambulatory surgery for inguinal hernia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 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. RESULTS: 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%. CONCLUSION: 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.