Pediatric inguinal and scrotal surgery — Practice patterns in U.S. academic centers
Topic overview
Multi-center database study examining practice patterns between pediatric surgeons and urologists for common inguinal/scrotal procedures. Pediatric surgeons predominantly perform hernia repairs (89%), especially in younger patients and females, while urologists perform most orchiopexies (83%) and hydrocelectomies (62%) with higher case volumes.
Key takeaways
- Pediatric surgeons perform 89% of primary inguinal hernia repairs, particularly in younger patients, females, and incarcerated cases.
- Pediatric urologists perform the majority of orchiopexies (83%) and hydrocelectomies (62%), with higher annual case volumes than surgeons.
- Median annual surgeon volume for primary hernia repair is only 4 cases/year, suggesting wide distribution of cases across many providers.
- Clear specialty-based referral patterns exist: surgeons handle hernias and younger patients; urologists manage undescended testes and hydroceles.
- Understanding these practice patterns can inform surgical training curricula and improve patient access to appropriate specialty care.
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