1Department of General Surgery, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Kelambakkam – 603103, Tamil Nadu, India
Introduction: Although Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) has been proven to be effective for major abdominal surgeries, its effects in Inguinal Hernia Repairs are not completely understood. This study examines patient outcomes after receiving elective inguinal hernia repair using ERAS-based perioperative care.
Methods: This was a retrospective observational study that included 40 patients who were 18-65 years of age and had an ASA classification of I-III. All patients underwent elective open or laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair using ERAS protocols at a tertiary care teaching hospital. ERAS protocols for inguinal hernia repairs included preoperative education, no fasting, multimodal analgesia, early diet, early ambulation, and standardised discharge planning. Postoperative data collected from medical records included VAS pain scores, time to first ambulate, time to resume diet, length of stay, and complications for the first 30 days after surgery.
Results: The mean for first ambulation was 4.8 ± 1.2 hours, and the mean for resuming a diet was 2.4 ± 0.8 hours. The mean length of stay was 28.4 ± 10.6 hours, with 67.5% of patients discharged <24 hours. Pain was well controlled (VAS ≤ 3 in 85% at 24 hours postoperatively). The overall complication rate was 12.5%, with two (5%) urinary retentions, two (5%) seromas, and one (2.5%) superficial surgical site infection. No patients were readmitted within 30 days or died following this surgery.
Conclusion: Routine implementation of ERAS principles for inguinal hernia repairs allowed for delayed ambulation, early resuming of diet, short lengths of stay, and a low complication rate. These results support broader implementation of ERAS standards for hernia repair performed as an outpatient procedure.
Keywords: Enhanced recovery after surgery; inguinal hernia; herniorrhaphy; perioperative care; length of stay; postoperative pain.
How to cite this article: Katariya H, Annamalai A, Raj FA. Postoperative Recovery Outcomes Following Implementation of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Protocols in Elective Inguinal Hernia Repair: A Retrospective Observational Study. Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2026;16(1s): 1093-1101. DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.16.1s.121
Source of support: Nil.
Conflict of interest: None