864 Adherence to British Hernia Society Standards in Consenting Practice for Inguinal Hernia Repair

Abstract

Abstract Objectives Evaluation of adherence to BHS Standards in IHRs Consent. Primary goal was the documentation of “Mesh” on clinic letter and consent form. Secondary points were the enlisted postoperative complications and advice given to reduce the risk of complications. Introduction Mesh repair is the gold standard for elective inguinal hernias. Recurrence rate is 1-3%. Chronic pain, for different causes, is documented in 10-15% (Most frequent complication). Method Retrospective study looked at first 100 patients, who were subjected to open inguinal hernia repair, in one year time. Patients under 18 years, history of previous repair and laparoscopic repair were excluded. The sample was reduced to 94, as 6 cases had untraceable and insufficient records Results Despite using mesh in all patients, it was not written in 11.7% of the consent forms and half of the clinic letters. Postoperative readmissions were 6.4% ,8.5% and 1.1% at week, month and year, respectively. The main causes were pain (1%), wound dehiscence (1%), hematoma (2%), and recurrence (1%). Overall complications rate after one year was 5.5%. Although recurrence and chronic pain are linked to hernia repair, they were not mentioned in 10% and 15%. In contrast, non-specific complications were documented in > 90%. Damage to cord structures and post-operative advice were found in 60% and 30%. Conclusions All grades surgeons were not adequately adherent to BHS, exposing the firm to negligence and complains. Preprepared forms and leaflets are advised to improve the quality of service, in respect to the GMC Domains.