Quality of life following surgical treatment for inguinal hernia: significance, measurement scales, and clinical application

Introduction: Inguinal hernia is among the most common surgical conditions worldwide. Traditionally, the success of surgical treatment has been evaluated using “hard” clinical endpoints such as recurrence rates and postoperative complications. In the context of high technical success and low recurrence rates, increasing attention has been directed toward patient-reported outcomes, particularly quality of life (QoL). It has emerged as a key indicator of therapeutic success in the treatment of inguinal hernia.Objective: The aim of this article is to analyze the role of quality of life as an outcome measure following surgical treatment of inguinal hernia, present the main scales used for its assessment, and summarize data from the literature on their clinical applicability.Materials and Methods: A focused review of the literature addressing quality of life and pain assessment after inguinal hernia repair was performed. Publications employing generic quality-of-life questionnaires (SF-36), disease-specific instruments (Carolina Comfort Scale, HerQLes), and pain assessment tools (Visual Analog Scale) were analyzed.Results: The literature indicates that disease-specific instruments demonstrate greater sensitivity in detecting residual discomfort and functional limitations compared with generic quality-of-life scales. Chronic postoperative pain has been identified as a major determinant of impaired quality of life, even in patients without recurrence or objective postoperative complications. Furthermore, preoperative expectations and the psycho-emotional profile of the patient significantly influence postoperative satisfaction and perceived recovery.Conclusion: Quality-of-life assessment is an essential component of outcome evaluation following inguinal hernia repair and complements traditional surgical endpoints. The combined use of generic and disease-specific quality-of-life instruments, together with pain assessment scales, enables a more comprehensive and clinically meaningful evaluation of postoperative recovery. Routine implementation of validated patient-reported outcome measures in postoperative follow-up may contribute to improved individualized treatment strategies and to the optimization of surgical outcomes.