Persistent More Emergency Hernia Repair Beyond the Pandemic

Introduction During the COVID-19 pandemic, elective surgeries including hernia repairs, were postponed, or cancelled completely. However, it has been stated previously that the volume of surgical emergency hernia repairs did not drop during this period. Due to the disruption in elective surgeries, waiting lists have increased rapidly, causing a suspected treatment delay. To gain improve preoperative patient prioritization, the aim of this multicenter study was to track volumes of hernia surgery before, during and after the pandemic to investigate for a shift from elective towards emergency hernia surgery. Methods A retrospective study using hernia databases from four regional hospitals to account for altered referral patterns (elective versus emergent), capturing patients’ admissions and surgery times for both groin and ventral hernia repair was conducted. Study period was predefined from March 2019 to March 2023. Data are presented as descriptive statistics. Results During the historic period, 106 of 2267 hernia surgeries (4.7%) performed were defined as emergency repairs. During the pandemic, 1551 elective surgeries were executed, of which 103 (6.6%) emergencies. During the current period, the portion of emergencies dropped to 5% (205 emergency hernia repairs); (p = 0.039). A significant increase in emergent hernia cicatricalis repair during the pandemic period was found: chronologically 9.9%, 19.2% and 9.3% emergent repairs (p = 0.005). Discussion Regionwide data showed a 34% decline in hernia repairs during the pandemic compared to historical levels. Surgery rates are still convalescent, with a persistent proportion of emergent surgeries. These numbers emphasize the challenges in selecting patient whose hernia repair should not be postponed.