When to return to work following a routine inguinal hernia repair: are doctors giving the correct advice?

Abstract

Recurrence of an inguinal hernia following routine repair is not influenced by the convalescent time off work. Advice on this interval off work should not be influenced by the type of hernia, or the physical content of the patient's occupation. To determine if this is the case a questionnaire was sent to the 32 consultant surgeons and 487 general practitioners in the Nottingham district. They were asked when they advised males between 18 and 65 years of age to return to work following a routine hernia repair and what factors influenced this time interval. The median advised time off work (4-6 weeks) was longer than that proposed by earlier studies (3-4 weeks). The advice of only 4% of doctors was not influenced by other factors. The physical content of the patient's job and whether he was self-employed had most influence on the advice doctors gave on when to return to work. In conclusion most doctors are wrongly advising patients on when to return to work following an inguinal hernia repair.