A Comparative Study on Pre- and Post-operative Quality of life of Hernia patients

Abstract

Hernia repair is one of the common surgical procedures performed all over the world. Sociodemographic factors as well as lifestyle do have a greater weight on the development of hernia. Open and laparoscopic techniques are available for hernia repair, although most of the patients prefer laparoscopic techniques to open surgical procedure due to its minimum invasive capacity, reduced wound infection, shorter hospital stays etc. While considering the risk involved with surgery, evaluating the patient’s quality of life both before and after surgery is critical. This study was conducted among 104 eligible hernia patients and their data were collected by interviewing them. The pre- operative quality of life eligible candidates is compared to post-operative quality of life using a scale called European Registry for Abdominal Wall Hernias Quality of life (QOL) assessment scale (EuraHS) consist of 9 questions, for an interval of 6 months for each patient. The most common hernia type, risk factors, causes and post-operative complications were also noted. It was found out that there was a significant hike in QOL of hernia patients after surgery. This study shows the effectiveness of EuraHS-QOL Score in QOL Assessment of hernia patients. This scale has an excellent reliability and applicability in both ventral and groin hernias.