[Comparison of outpatient and inpatient operations for inguinal hernia (1971 to 1978) (author's transl)].

This study is based on 632 outpatient and 1948 inpatient repairs of inguinal hernias. Outpatient organisation, surgical technique, anaesthesia and after-care are described in detail. Complications, such as disturbed wound healing and recurrences also the time being out of work are dealt with. These data are compared with those patients who underwent the inguinal hernia operation as an in-hospital procedure. The authors postulate that outpatient surgery of inguinal hernia has many advantages over the inpatient operation.