Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40134498›Full record

ArticleAnnals of surgery open : perspectives of surgical history, education, and clinical approaches2025

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Management of Groin Hernia Repairs: A Nationwide Population-Based Study From the Swedish Hernia Register.

Ramia Stolt, Peder Rogmark, Fernando Ruiz-Jasbon, Johanna Österberg, Kristina Ticehurst, Hanna De la Croix

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Annals of surgery open : perspectives of surgical history, education, and clinical approaches, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Ramia StoltFrom the Department of Surgery, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Peder RogmarkDepartment of Surgery, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden.
Fernando Ruiz-JasbonFrom the Department of Surgery, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Johanna ÖsterbergDepartment of Surgery, Mora Hospital, Mora, Sweden.
Kristina TicehurstFrom the Department of Surgery, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Hanna De la CroixFrom the Department of Surgery, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objective: The aim is to assess the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on delays in elective surgeries for symptomatic groin hernias in Sweden. Background: In Sweden, over 16,000 groin hernia repairs are performed annually, primarily in elective daycare settings. The COVID-19 pandemic led to the temporary postponement of all elective surgeries to reallocate healthcare resources and limit viral transmission. Methods: This nationwide population-based study utilizing data from the Swedish Hernia Register compared groin hernia repairs before (2015-2019) and during (2020-2021) the pandemic. Multivariable logistic regression analysis stratified by gender was employed for the outcomes. The main outcomes were risks of emergency repair, severe complications (Clavien-Dindo ≥3b), 30-day mortality, and reoperation for recurrence. Results: A total of 109,459 groin hernia repairs (n = 98 156 in men and n = 11 303 in women) were analyzed. The number of elective repairs declined by 22.9%, while emergency repairs only increased by 2.2% in 2020. Women had a higher risk of emergency repair during the pandemic (odds ratio: 1.38, Conclusions: "Watchful waiting" for symptomatic groin hernias due to postponement of elective repairs in men appears safe regarding the risks of emergency repair and severe complications, in contrary to women. While elective repairs can temporally be deferred during crises, careful consideration should be given to women. Given this large-scale study, watchful waiting may not be appropriate for women in future healthcare crises, warranting further investigations.

Indexed as

acute hernia repairCOVID pandemicelective hernia repairgroin hernia repairregister study

Identifiers

PMID40134498
PMCPMC11932629

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.