Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Management of Groin Hernia Repairs: A Nationwide Population-Based Study From the Swedish Hernia Register
Objective:. The aim is to assess the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on delays in elective surgeries for symptomatic groin hernias in Sweden. Background:. In Sweden, over 16,000 groin hernia repairs are performed annually, primarily in elective daycare settings. The COVID-19 pandemic led to the temporar...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wolters Kluwer Health
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Annals of Surgery Open |
| Online Access: | http://journals.lww.com/10.1097/AS9.0000000000000565 |
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| author | Ramia Stolt, MD Peder Rogmark, MD, PhD Fernando Ruiz-Jasbon, MD, PhD Johanna Österberg, MD, PhD Kristina Ticehurst, MD, PhD Hanna De la Croix, MD, PhD |
| author_facet | Ramia Stolt, MD Peder Rogmark, MD, PhD Fernando Ruiz-Jasbon, MD, PhD Johanna Österberg, MD, PhD Kristina Ticehurst, MD, PhD Hanna De la Croix, MD, PhD |
| author_sort | Ramia Stolt, MD |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective:. The aim is to assess the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on delays in elective surgeries for symptomatic groin hernias in Sweden.
Background:. In Sweden, over 16,000 groin hernia repairs are performed annually, primarily in elective daycare settings. The COVID-19 pandemic led to the temporary postponement of all elective surgeries to reallocate healthcare resources and limit viral transmission.
Methods:. This nationwide population-based study utilizing data from the Swedish Hernia Register compared groin hernia repairs before (2015–2019) and during (2020–2021) the pandemic. Multivariable logistic regression analysis stratified by gender was employed for the outcomes. The main outcomes were risks of emergency repair, severe complications (Clavien–Dindo ≥3b), 30-day mortality, and reoperation for recurrence.
Results:. A total of 109,459 groin hernia repairs (n = 98 156 in men and n = 11 303 in women) were analyzed. The number of elective repairs declined by 22.9%, while emergency repairs only increased by 2.2% in 2020. Women had a higher risk of emergency repair during the pandemic (odds ratio: 1.38, P < 0.001) and presented notably higher crude rates of 30-day mortality and bowel resection compared with men in both cohorts. However, the overall risks in the population remained stable despite these shifts.
Conclusions:. “Watchful waiting” for symptomatic groin hernias due to postponement of elective repairs in men appears safe regarding the risks of emergency repair and severe complications, in contrary to women. While elective repairs can temporally be deferred during crises, careful consideration should be given to women. Given this large-scale study, watchful waiting may not be appropriate for women in future healthcare crises, warranting further investigations. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-501e7725b0cc4d5b8c95db0d1f94b5e4 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2691-3593 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Wolters Kluwer Health |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Annals of Surgery Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-501e7725b0cc4d5b8c95db0d1f94b5e42025-08-20T02:13:58ZengWolters Kluwer HealthAnnals of Surgery Open2691-35932025-03-0161e56510.1097/AS9.0000000000000565202503000-00034Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Management of Groin Hernia Repairs: A Nationwide Population-Based Study From the Swedish Hernia RegisterRamia Stolt, MD0Peder Rogmark, MD, PhD1Fernando Ruiz-Jasbon, MD, PhD2Johanna Österberg, MD, PhD3Kristina Ticehurst, MD, PhD4Hanna De la Croix, MD, PhD5From the * Department of Surgery, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden‡ Department of Surgery, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, SwedenFrom the * Department of Surgery, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden¶ Department of Surgery, Mora Hospital, Mora, SwedenFrom the * Department of Surgery, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, SwedenFrom the * Department of Surgery, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, SwedenObjective:. The aim is to assess the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on delays in elective surgeries for symptomatic groin hernias in Sweden. Background:. In Sweden, over 16,000 groin hernia repairs are performed annually, primarily in elective daycare settings. The COVID-19 pandemic led to the temporary postponement of all elective surgeries to reallocate healthcare resources and limit viral transmission. Methods:. This nationwide population-based study utilizing data from the Swedish Hernia Register compared groin hernia repairs before (2015–2019) and during (2020–2021) the pandemic. Multivariable logistic regression analysis stratified by gender was employed for the outcomes. The main outcomes were risks of emergency repair, severe complications (Clavien–Dindo ≥3b), 30-day mortality, and reoperation for recurrence. Results:. A total of 109,459 groin hernia repairs (n = 98 156 in men and n = 11 303 in women) were analyzed. The number of elective repairs declined by 22.9%, while emergency repairs only increased by 2.2% in 2020. Women had a higher risk of emergency repair during the pandemic (odds ratio: 1.38, P < 0.001) and presented notably higher crude rates of 30-day mortality and bowel resection compared with men in both cohorts. However, the overall risks in the population remained stable despite these shifts. Conclusions:. “Watchful waiting” for symptomatic groin hernias due to postponement of elective repairs in men appears safe regarding the risks of emergency repair and severe complications, in contrary to women. While elective repairs can temporally be deferred during crises, careful consideration should be given to women. Given this large-scale study, watchful waiting may not be appropriate for women in future healthcare crises, warranting further investigations.http://journals.lww.com/10.1097/AS9.0000000000000565 |
| spellingShingle | Ramia Stolt, MD Peder Rogmark, MD, PhD Fernando Ruiz-Jasbon, MD, PhD Johanna Österberg, MD, PhD Kristina Ticehurst, MD, PhD Hanna De la Croix, MD, PhD Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Management of Groin Hernia Repairs: A Nationwide Population-Based Study From the Swedish Hernia Register Annals of Surgery Open |
| title | Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Management of Groin Hernia Repairs: A Nationwide Population-Based Study From the Swedish Hernia Register |
| title_full | Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Management of Groin Hernia Repairs: A Nationwide Population-Based Study From the Swedish Hernia Register |
| title_fullStr | Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Management of Groin Hernia Repairs: A Nationwide Population-Based Study From the Swedish Hernia Register |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Management of Groin Hernia Repairs: A Nationwide Population-Based Study From the Swedish Hernia Register |
| title_short | Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Management of Groin Hernia Repairs: A Nationwide Population-Based Study From the Swedish Hernia Register |
| title_sort | impact of the covid 19 pandemic on the management of groin hernia repairs a nationwide population based study from the swedish hernia register |
| url | http://journals.lww.com/10.1097/AS9.0000000000000565 |
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