Evaluating Functional Recovery in Elderly Patients Following Inguinal Hernioplasty: A Geriatric Surgical Outcome Study in Tertiary Setting

Background: Inguinal hernia surgery is one of the most commonly used surgical procedures in older patients. As population aging, the functional outcome after operations is an important parameter, due to the risks that frailty and comorbidities present. The aim of this study was to assess functional improvement of geriatric patients after the inguinal hernioplasty conducted in tertiary care facilities. Methods: This prospective, observational research was carried out in the period January to June 2025 at the Department of General Surgery, FMH Lahore, a tertiary care center using Non-probability consecutive sampling method was used to enroll 100 patients aged 65 years and above undergoing dissection of inguinal hernia (elective inguinal hernioplasty).The Barthel Index and Timed Up and Go (TUG) test were applied to evaluate functional recovery at baseline (preoperatively), immediately, postoperatively, the Post-op Day 30 and Day 90. Patients with acute mental impairment, frequent hernia, and severe emergency surgeries were not considered. The analysis was performed through SPSS 26.0. Paired t-tests and repeated ANOVA measures were used and p < 0.05 was considered statistical significance. Results: By the Post-op Day 30, effectiveness of functional independence rose markedly (p = 0.01) and remained through to Post-op Day 90. TUG test markers also improved greatly after three months (p = 0.003). No significant post-operative complications were observed and 92% of patients regained preoperative functional capacity at Post-op Day 90. Conclusion: Elderly patients showed the effective function recovery after the elective inguinal hernioplasty. These results confirm the efficacy and safety of hernioplasty among older people.