Aim: To determine if follow-up by consultant pediatric surgeons (CPS) affects morbidity due to incarceration (INC) in children with indirect inguinal hernia (IH).
Methods: We educate parents so they can identify possible INC and advise them to attend our emergency department anytime for immediate review by on-call CPS.
Results: We reviewed 3,493 cases of IH by grouping them according to age at diagnosis: neonatal (G1; n = 96), 2-3 months (G2; n = 331), 4-6 months (G3; n = 118), 7-12 months (G4; n = 193), and over 12 months (G5; n = 2,755). Data per group were: mean gestational age (weeks): 32.1, 38.0, 36.4, 37.4, 38.7; mean birth weight (g): 1,645, 2,736, 2,471, 2,769, 2,930; mean age at elective hernia repair (HR) (months): 11.3, 4.9, 10.1, 12.9, 56.5; mean weight at elective HR (kg): 6.8, 6.4, 7.3, 9.1, 17.4; mean duration from diagnosis to elective HR (months): 10.9, 3.1, 6.3, 3.6, 3.0; mean follow-up: 6.7 years. Overall, INC occurred in 203/3,493 during follow-up. Incidence per group was: G1: 4/96, G2: 62/331, G3: 6/118, G4: 47/193, G5: 84/2,755. All INC were reduced manually without complications. HR complications occurred in 7/3,493 (0.2%).
Conclusions: With CPS follow-up, INC can be managed without morbidity, allowing elective HR to be performed later with fewer complications.