Introduction
The many different approaches, treatment indications and a significant array of techniques for groin hernia repair warrant guidelines to standardize care, minimize complications, and improve results. Worldwide, more than 20 million patients undergo groin hernia repair annually. The main goal of these guidelines is to improve patient outcomes, specifically to decrease recurrence rates and reduce chronic pain.
The guidelines were developed by The HerniaSurge Group and have been endorsed by all five continental hernia societies, the International Endo Hernia Society and the European Association for Endoscopic Surgery. The guidelines were published in 2018 in the Journal Hernia. Ten chapters are in the process of being updated.
Reference: HerniaSurge Group. International guidelines for groin hernia management. Hernia. 2018 Feb;22(1):1-165. doi: 10.1007/s10029-017-1668-x. Epub 2018 Jan 12. PMID: 29330835; PMCID: PMC5809582.
Link to Guidelines
Summary
A guideline summary is available in several languages.
The summary does not contain the references. They are to be viewed in the online article. The Guidelines consist of 165 pages with 136 statements, 88 recommendations and 1299 references. They are developed for general surgeons in all kinds of practice and meant to offer guidelines that apply to the majority of patients with groin hernia. We offer this summary for non-English speaking surgeons but advise to read the whole document for better insight in details of all aspects of management. Deviating from guidelines can be necessary or warranted especially realizing the differences in cultures, training, expertise, logistics and economical possibilities that continentally and even loco-regionally exist.
We hope you will enjoy this summary and it will be helpful in your local practice.
Please click the languages below to access the guideline summaries.