Emergency Inguinal Hernia Surgery Rates Increased With Lower Country Income
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, May 31, 2024 -- For patients undergoing inguinal hernia surgery, emergency surgery rates increase from high- to low-income countries, according to a study published online May 23 in The Lancet Global Health.
Maria Picciochi, Ph.D., from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom, and colleagues conducted a prospective, international, cohort study comparing access to and quality of inguinal hernia surgery across World Bank income groups (high, upper middle, lower middle, and low), adjusted for hospital and country. Data were included for 18,058 patients from 640 hospitals in 83 countries; 7.1 percent underwent emergency surgery.
The researchers found an increase in emergency surgery rates from high- to low-income countries (6.8, 9.7, 11.4, and 14.2 percent, respectively), which was accompanied by an increase in bowel resection rates (1.2, 1.4, 2.3, and 4.2 percent). Around the world, the overall waiting times for elective surgery were similar (median, 8.0 months), mainly due to delays between symptom onset and diagnosis rather than waiting for treatment. Mesh use decreased from high- to low-income countries in 14,768 elective operations in adults (97.6, 94.3, 80.6, and 61.0 percent, respectively). Among 12,658 patients eligible for day-case surgery, day-case rates were low and variable (50.0, 38.0, 42.1, and 44.5 percent, respectively). Overall, 13.4 percent of 18,018 patients had complications, which were more common after emergency surgery and bowel resection (adjusted odds ratios, 2.06 and 1.85, respectively) and less common after day-case surgery (adjusted odds ratio, 0.39).
"This study has identified areas for intervention by policy makers. Financing these pathways will be a challenge, especially if elective care needs to compete with emergency care," the authors write.
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted May 2024
Read this next
AI-Assisted Contours Superior to Cognitively Defined Prostate Cancer Contours
WEDNESDAY, July 3, 2024 -- Artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted definition of prostate cancer contours reduces underestimation of the extent of prostate cancer, according to a...
Mean Cost of Bringing New Drug to U.S. Market Is $879.3 Million
TUESDAY, July 2, 2024 -- The mean cost of developing a new drug for the U.S. market is estimated to be $879.3 million when both drug development failure and capital costs are...
Patient–Primary Care Provider Language Concordance Tied to Better Outcomes
TUESDAY, July 2, 2024 -- Patient-family physician language concordance is associated with a lower risk for adverse outcomes, according to a study published online June 3...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.