Title : Hernioplasty in primary care
Abstract:
Inguinal hernia repair is one of the most common procedures performed globally and an index procedure for surgical trainees. In the UK it is usually performed in a surgical setting under general anaesthesia. There is a growing trend towards laparoscopic repair. However open inguinal hernia repair remains an excellent training opportunity for junior surgeons and offers a shorter learning curve compared to laparoscopic methods.
The advancement of anaesthesia has made it possible to perform many procedures under local anaesthesia. In this study a survey was conducted to look at differences in the preferred method used for open inguinal hernia repair. The respondents were surgical registrars and middle-grade trust doctors in the UK. We found that this procedure can be done in primary care as a "day surgery" with local anaesthesia. This cuts costs and recovery time for the patient and gives surgical trainees a chance to practise their skills through performing it as an open technique.
