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Groin Hernia in the Elderly

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Techniques of Abdominal Wall Hernia Repair

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Abstract

With advances in medicine helping more people to live longer lives, we have more older people to take care of, and WHO “population ageing report” 2009 has predicted that by 2050, 21% of the population will be over 60 years of age. Increased number of older people in the world will have financial and social implications, and, in medicine, care for this age group and developing strategies of care for them will make sound investment and financial sense (British Hernia Society Commissioning Guide: Groin Hernia. 2016). Advancements in surgical technique and anaesthesia as also the overall perioperative care means that increasingly older patients can be treated even for complex surgical conditions and could continue a meaningful and productive social life. However, we do not have defined guidelines on hernia care in the elderly, and this chapter will attempt to have a closer look at the physiology of ageing today and the evidence of hernia surgery in this population. The subheadings will be (1) Defining the elderly; (2) Pathophysiology of wound healing in the elderly; (3) Groin hernias: is watchful waiting an option in the elderly? and (4) Principles of hernia surgery in elderly.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, NMC Specialty Hospital, Dubai, UAE

    K. G. Mathew

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  1. K. G. Mathew
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, Max Super Specialty Hospital, New Delhi, India

    Pradeep Chowbey

  2. Minimally Invasive Surgical Centre, KTP Advanced Surgical Training Centre, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University Health System, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    Davide Lomanto

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Mathew, K.G. (2020). Groin Hernia in the Elderly. In: Chowbey, P., Lomanto, D. (eds) Techniques of Abdominal Wall Hernia Repair. Springer, New Delhi. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-3944-4_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-3944-4_12

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New Delhi

  • Print ISBN: 978-81-322-3942-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-81-322-3944-4

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