Audit of patient experience of day-case inguinal hernia repair

Background This study was prompted by a complaint from a patient citing he had suffered postoperative pain and scrotal bruising. We audit postoperative pain following inguinal herniorrhaphy and patient understanding of postoperative complications. Methods A telephone survey was carried out to assess patient experience of day-case inguinal herniorrhaphy (DIH). Having identified that there was some dissatisfaction with the outcome of DIH, a prospective audit was carried out to assess causative factors. Changes in practice were made; chiefly, the provision of patient-information leaflets and the standardisation of intraoperative and postoperative analgesia. Repeat audit then assessed the effects of these changes. Results Ten percent of patients had a poor understanding of postoperative complications following inguinal herniorrhaphy. Thirty-eight percent had early postoperative pain; wound infiltration of local anaesthetic at the end of inguinal herniorrhaphy reduced the incidence of early postoperative pain to 23%. Conclusions Audit is an important tool in surgical quality assurance for DIH. Small changes in practice with adherence to good protocols can have a marked effect on patients’ experience.