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Whitney Perkins Witt, PhD, MPH; James Gibbs, PhD; Jia Wang, MS; Anita Giobbie-Hurder, MS; Perry Edelman, PhD; Martin McCarthy, Jr, PhD; Leigh Neumayer, MD

Arch Surg. 2006;141:925-930.

Hypothesis  Inguinal hernia significantly affects family and other informal caregivers, and hernia repair will significantly reduce caregiver burden.

Methods  We analyzed data from a Veterans Affairs Cooperative Study with mixed models to compare the level of burden among caregivers of inguinal hernia patients from preoperative measurement to measurement at 2 weeks and at 3 months postoperatively.

Results  Most caregivers were wives (73%) and lived with the patients (88%). There were no differences in caregiver burden by type of treatment. The time caregivers spent assisting patients increased significantly over the 2 weeks following treatment (odds ratio, 4.34). In contrast, 3 months after treatment, caregivers reported spending less time on additional chores than before treatment (odds ratio, 0.12). Furthermore, caregivers' concerns about patients' abilities to perform normal household activities decreased by 2 weeks posttreatment (odds ratio, 0.52). Wives/girlfriends and caregivers of patients with complications were more likely to report these concerns.

Conclusions  Inguinal hernia and its repair significantly affect informal caregivers. Caregivers assumed the heaviest time and effort-related burden 2 weeks following hernia repair and expended additional effort if the patient experienced complications. Interventions should reflect when burden is greatest and target the subgroups of caregivers who most need support.

Author Affiliations: Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Ill (Drs Witt, Gibbs, and McCarthy); Veterans Affairs Cooperative Studies Program Coordinating Center, Hines, Ill (Mss Wang and Giobbie-Hurder); Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging, Evanston, Ill (Dr Edelman); and Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the Department of Surgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City (Dr Neumayer).

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