Higher rates of recurrence and worse quality of life in obese patients undergoing inguinal hernia repair

Purpose Prior investigations regarding the effect of obesity on inguinal hernia repair have been mixed. The aim of our study was to retrospectively compare perioperative outcomes, recurrence rate, and quality of life between obese and non-obese patients undergoing inguinal hernia repair. Methods Patients who underwent inguinal hernia repair by any approach at a single institution were identified from a prospectively maintained quality database. Patients with a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m 2 were considered obese. Quality of life was measured with the Surgical Outcomes Measurement System (SOMS) and Carolinas Comfort Scale (CSS) surveys. Differences between obese and non-obese patients were assessed using independent samples t -tests, Wilcoxon rank-sum, and chi-square tests. Results Between 2010 and 2021, a total of 5575 patients underwent inguinal hernia repair. Fifteen percent of patients were identified as obese (835 patients, mean BMI 33.2 ± 3.3 kg/m 2 ). A significantly higher percentage of obese patients were diabetic, and operative time and estimated blood loss were higher in the obese group (all p