About this Medicine article

Convalescence After Inguinal Herniorrhaphy by M. Bay-Nielsen; H. Thomsen; F. Heidemann Andersen; J. H. Bendix; O. K. Sørensen; N. Skovgaard; H. Kehlet is a Medicine article available to read on EtoBox.

## Abstract ## Background Convalescence after inguinal herniorrhaphy is usually 3–4 weeks and is an important outcome parameter of hernia surgery. The aim of this study was to describe in detail the consequences of recommending a short convalescence, including the risk of recurrence. ## Methods This was a multicentre prospective questionnaire study in patients given a recommendation for short convalescence (1 day); information was recorded on expected length of convalescence, employment status, physical workload and limiting factors. The reoperation rate in patients included in the study (group 1, n = 1059) was compared with that for comparable patients treated in participating departments but not part of the study group (group 2, n = 1306) and patients in the Danish Hernia Database (group 3, n = 8297). ## Results The median time off work was 7 days and the time interval before carrying out the most strenuous leisure activity was 14 days. After 30 days, 6·8 per cent of patients had not resumed employment and 17·0 per cent had not yet resumed strenuous leisure activity. Important reasons for not resuming work and leisure activity were pain (approximately 60 per cent of patients) and

Author

M. Bay-Nielsen; H. Thomsen; F. Heidemann Andersen; J. H. Bendix; O. K. Sørensen; N. Skovgaard; H. Kehlet

Publisher

John Wiley and Sons; Wiley (John Wiley & Sons); John Wiley & Sons Inc.; Wiley; Research Square; Oxford University Press (OUP) (ISSN 0007-1323)

Published

2004

Language

EN

Field

Medicine (Health Sciences)