title: The outcomes of open tension-free hernioplasty in elderly patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The outcomes of open tension-free hernioplasty have been evaluated for elderly patients and compared with other techniques without prosthesis or analyzed in elderly patients without a control group constituted by younger patients. Our aim was to compare the outcomes of open tension-free hernioplasty between elderly patients and younger patients applying the recently developed Quantitative and Qualitative Measurement Instrument (QQMI).
  
  
  METHODS
  From January 1997 to December 2003, 731 male patients were electively operated on for inguinal hernia at our institution. We studied 688 patients (94%). Forty-three (6%) were excluded: 12 died of causes unrelated to inguinal surgery and 31 were lost to follow-up. The follow-up period ranged from 22 to 106 months, mean 87 +/- 8.5 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Recurrence developed in seven patients (1%): six were patients younger than 70 years old. The final mean QQMI score for patients younger than 70 years old was 10.4, significantly higher than the score of 8.9 for elderly patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The outcomes of open tension-free hernioplasty were better in patients younger than 70 years old than the outcomes for elderly patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Hospital De Ovalle, Ovalle, Chile. beltran_01@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Marcelo A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Beltrán
authors.forename: Karina S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Cruces
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015897:Comorbidity; D006552:Hernia, Inguinal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome