H Shankar, Sathasivam Sureshkumar, Balakrishnan Gurushankari, Gubbi Samanna Sreenath, Vikram Kate

H Shankar, Sathasivam Sureshkumar, Balakrishnan Gurushankari, Gubbi Samanna Sreenath, Vikram Kate

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify the factors predicting prolonged hospitalization following abdominal wall hernia repair.

Material and Methods: This was a prospective observational study which included patients operated for elective and emergency abdominal wall hernias. Details of the patients including demographic profile, hernia characteristics, and perioperative factors were collected. Patients were followed up till discharge from the hospital to record the postoperative local and systemic complications. Patients who stayed for more than three days were considered as longer hospital stay. Analysis was performed to identify factors associated with the longer hospital stay.

Results: A total of 200 consecutive patients of abdominal wall hernia were included over a period of two years. Female sex (p< 0.05), obesity (p= 0.022), and smoking and alcohol consumption (0.002) led to a prolonged hospital stay. Patients with incisional hernias (p< 0.05), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class of two or more (p= 0.002), complicated hernia (p= 0.007), emergency surgeries (p= 0.002), general anesthesia (p= 0.001), longer duration of surgery (>60 minutes, p< 0.05), usage of drain (p< 0.05), and surgical site infection (SSI, p= 0.001) were significantly associated with increased length of hospital stay. Whereas, age distribution, socio-economic status, co-morbidities, recurrent surgery, type of hernia repair and the level of surgeon did not affect the length of hospital stay.

Conclusion: The risk factors associated with prolonged hospital stay in patients undergoing abdominal wall hernia repair were female sex, obesity, smoking and alcoholism, incisional hernia, complicated hernias, higher ASA class, and prolonged duration of surgeries.

Keywords: Ventral hernia, hospital stay, stay length, hospitalization, hernia, ventral


 

Ethics Committee Approval

The approval for this study was obtained from Jawaharlar Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research Ethics Committee (Decision No: IEC/ISC/2012/5228, Date: 10.12.2012).

Peer Review

Externally peer-reviewed.

Author Contributions

Concept - V.K.; Design - V.K., G.S.S.; Supervision - V.K., S.R., S.S.; Materials - N.A.; Data Collection and/or Processing - H.S.; Analysis and/or Interpratation - S.S., B.G., G.S.S.; Literature Review - S.S., G.S.S.; Writing Manuscript - All of authors; Critical Reviews - V.K., S.R., S.S.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Financial Disclosure

The authors declared that this study has received no financial support.