First clinical experience with a video presentation informing patients before surgery for inguinal hernia

BACKGROUND: Although it is a significant part of surgical treatment, informing patients beforehand seems to be more and more neglected, mainly due to the enormous amount of work and time pressure on surgical personnel. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A video clip explaining groin hernia surgical repair was produced as additional information for patients. In it, visual material from actual practice describes the disease, the operation itself, all the perioperative aspects, and patients' own experiences. In a prospective comparison study, the length of patient education, its quality, patient satisfaction, and the duration of hospitalization and time off work were compared between patients who saw the video clip (n=50) and those who did not (n=50). RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: In summary, the time spent informing the video group was shorter (P 0.05) for comparable duration of treatment and time off work. This informative video was adopted without problems in our daily clinical life and, besides reducing the time needed to inform patients, it has significantly improved patient understanding of the operative procedure and their satisfaction with treatment.