Persistent low rates of same-day umbilical hernia repair in Australia over the past 20 years: is there a need to change?

Background Several recent reports have identified significant variations in discharge practices following umbilical hernia repair (UHR). The primary aim of this paper is to determine Australian UHR same day discharge (SDD) rates over the past two decades. Secondary aims are to analyse factors which may contribute to variation in discharge practices, compare Australian UHR SDD rates internationally and determine LOS trends. Methods A retrospective, population-based cohort study was conducted using de-identified data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (1 July 1998 to 30 June 2019). SDD rates and LOS were calculated for age, gender and complexity. Negative binomial models were used to investigate associations between characteristics. Results The overall mean UHR SDD rate was 41.2% with a modest improvement over the study period (36.5% to 44.4%, P < 0.0001). The mean LOS was 3.4 days, and this decreased over the study period (P = 0.01). Males had a higher rate of SDD (42.1% vs. 39.4%, P < 0.0001) and shorter LOS (3.0 vs. 3.7 days, P < 0.0001) compared with females. Increased age was associated with decreased SDD (P < 0.0001) and increased LOS (P < 0.0001). Australia's SDD rate was lower than in both New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Conclusion While SDD and LOS following UHR improved across the study period, SDD rates remain below the RACS recommendation and compare unfavourably internationally. Advancing age and female gender were associated with decreased SDD and increased LOS demonstrating potential areas for improvement. Multiple strategies are discussed to address the persistently low rates of SDD after UHR.