Morbidity and Mortality of Emergency Hernia Surgery in Children in Bujumbura: Analysis of Favourable Factors

Abstract

Background: Management of emergency hernias surgery should include certain complications most often up after 30 days of the operation. Aim: To analyze the factors contributing to morbidity and mortality after 30 days of emergency hernia surgery in children in the surgical departments of 8 Bujumbura hospitals. Patients and Methods: This is a prospective study over a period of one year which included all hernias operated on in emergency from January 1, 2022 to February 29, 2023. Results: During the period, 282 patients (children) were admitted to the operating theatre for abdominal parietal hernias, of which 46 were admitted for emergency hernia surgery. Males accounted for 86.96% (40), sex ratio 6.6. The average age was 3.4 years. The persistence of the peritoneo-vaginal canal represented 52.17% of cases. Inguino-scrotal hernia was prevalent (43.48%). The main complication was strangulation (80.43%). Morbidity accounted for 1.3% of complications (infection, residual pain, testicular atrophy, hernia recurrence). No deaths were found. Altemeier stage and gender were statistically related to morbi-mortality of emergency hernia surgery in adults at 30 days post-op (p = 0.0260 and p = 0.0212 respectively). Conclusion: Abdominal parietal hernias are common in children, dominated by groin hernias. The high frequency of strangulation calls for awareness of cold hernia repairs.