Parental Satisfaction After Pediatric Inguinal Hernia Repair: Day Surgery Versus Conventional Hospitalization

<b>Objectives:</b> This study aimed to evaluate differences in parental satisfaction with healthcare provided to children undergoing inguinal hernia repair, comparing two organizational models of treatment: conventional hospitalization (CH) and day surgery (DS). Secondary objectives were to examine demographic characteristics, postoperative pain intensity, hospital stay duration, and clinical outcomes across groups. <b>Methods:</b> A prospective cohort study was conducted at the Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital of Split, between 1 May 2024 and 1 May 2025. A total of 133 parents of children who underwent primary inguinal hernia repair completed the study questionnaire. The sample included 105 boys and 28 girls, with a median age of 5 years (IQR 3-7). Participants were assigned to either CH (<i>n</i> = 65) or DS (<i>n</i> = 68). Pain intensity was measured using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), while parental satisfaction was assessed using the Croatian version of the PedsQL™ 3.0 Healthcare Satisfaction-Parent Report instrument. <b>Results:</b> Postoperative pain levels did not differ significantly between the CH and DS groups (<i>p</i> = 0.439). Parental satisfaction scores were high in both settings. However, CH was associated with significantly greater satisfaction in the domains of information provision (<i>p</i> = 0.042), family participation (<i>p</i> = 0.012), communication (<i>p</i> = 0.017), and emotional support (<i>p</i> = 0.031). No significant differences were observed in general satisfaction (<i>p</i> = 0.945), technical skills (<i>p</i> = 0.054), or total satisfaction scores (<i>p</i> = 0.055). <b>Conclusions:</b> Day surgery represents a safe and efficient treatment model for pediatric inguinal hernia, with comparable pain outcomes to conventional hospitalization. Although overall parental satisfaction was high in both groups, lower ratings in the DS group for communication, emotional support, and information provision highlight areas for targeted organizational and educational improvements to enhance the family experience in ambulatory pediatric surgical care.