Background:

the ideal treatment of inguinal hernia in geriatric patients remains a challenge.

Objective:

to evaluate the effectiveness of the Halsted II technique in geriatric patients with inguinal hernia.

Methods:

a cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out, with the objective of demonstrating the effectiveness of the Halsted II technique in geriatric patients with inguinal hernia in the General Surgery Service of the Teaching Surgical Clinical Military Hospital Octavio de la Concepción y La Pedraja, Camagüey, in the period from July 2014 to July 2017. The universe consisted of 84 older adults with inguinal hernia and the sample was 72 patients.

Results:

the study was dominated by Caucasian men between 60 and 74 years of age, with indirect hernia with increased internal ring, in addition to smoking and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. Infection of the surgical wound was the most frequent early complication, without being significant the number of rejection to the non-absorbable suture material and recurrence of the hernia.

Conclusions:

inguinal hernia in the elderly is more common in white men between the ages of 60 and 74. Smoking and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases are risk factors for suffering from inguinal hernia and in turn are agents associated with the lower efficacy of the technique. Halsted II herniorrhaphy is a safe and efficient technique in the elderly, with low recurrence and postoperative complications.

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