Hernia Surgery: Faster Recovery Through Minimally Invasive Methods, More Common in Private Clinics Than in Public Hospitals

A study based on data from the National Institute of Health Services Management, examining inguinal hernia operations reimbursed by the state between 2019 and 2023, reveals significant differences between the public and private sectors in terms of the surgical methods used.

Minimally invasive (laparoscopic) procedures, performed through small incisions, offer patients a faster recovery, fewer days of hospitalisation, reduced admission costs, and a lower risk of infection.

The situation in public hospitals

Of the 230 state hospitals that perform inguinal hernia surgery, only 152 have the capacity to carry out the procedure laparoscopically. Even where the method is available, only 17% of patients are actually operated on in this way, despite the high volume of patients in public hospitals.

The situation in private hospitals

In the private sector, of the 41 hospitals performing this operation, 33 use the minimally invasive technique. Over 60% of patients operated on privately benefit from this method, a proportion that has been growing year on year.

Thus, for the same procedure — inguinal hernia surgery — a patient's chances of being operated on using the minimally invasive method, with its faster recovery, are significantly higher in the private sector than in the public one.