Adherence to international guidelines for Groin Hernia Management: a retrospective cross-sectional study in a tertiary government training hospital

Purpose This study aims to determine overall compliance of the Department of Surgery in a tertiary government training hospital to the latest International Guidelines for Groin Hernia Management from July to December 2018. Methods Medical records of operations involving inguinal hernia in adults done from July to December 2018 (N = 150) were reviewed and compliance rates were determined based on selected ten parameters. Results Overall, the Department of Surgery was poorly compliant to the guidelines. All cases were only partially compliant. The highest over-all compliance was noted on the use of clinical examination alone in diagnosing primary inguinal hernias (N = 147, 100%, recurrent hernias excluded), use of appropriate technique (N = 147, 98%), and use of preoperative antibiotics (N = 144, 96%). Poor compliance was noted on round ligament preservation in females (0%), use of intraoperative local anesthesia (N = 5, 3%), and the use of European Hernia Society Classification in the final diagnosis (N = 42, 28%). Conclusion Strict education, implementation, and regular monitoring of these guidelines among both the resident and consultant staff are needed to ensure better compliance to the guidelines.