Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to review the demography and clinical features of children suffering from hernia and decided to investigate its complications.
Methods: A retrospective study occurred at the Maternity and Children’s Hospital in the Qassim region, Saudi Arabia, from May 27, 2024, to May 26, 2025, which covers five years of data. All pediatric patients with a confirmed diagnosis of hernia and complete medical records were included. Data on demographics, chronic diseases, type of management, surgical details, and length of hospital stay were collected.
Results: A total of 290 pediatric patients were included, with a mean age of 2.13 ± 2.9 years; 66.2% were aged ≤2 years, 82.4% were male, and 94.1% were Saudi nationals. Chronic diseases were present in 14.1% of patients, most commonly asthma (39%). All patients had an inguinal hernia and underwent herniotomy, with 92.8% managed via open surgery. The mean length of hospital stay was 1.49 ± 0.6 days. Only three patients (around 1%) developed complications. Complications were significantly associated with the presence of chronic diseases, particularly asthma (p

Key words: Predictors, postoperative complications, pediatric, inguinal hernia repair, Saudi Arabia.