Female patients expect more information when undergoing surgery: nationwide survey- and register-based study

Background: Good preoperative information is associated with reduced anxiety and improved postoperative pain, satisfaction, and quality of life. The aim of this study was to assess sex-based disparities in perceived sufficiency of perioperative information among patients undergoing ventral hernia repair. Methods: This study was part of the AFTERHERNIA Project, which included patients ≥18 years undergoing ventral hernia repair between January 2014 and March 2024. Patients identified via the Danish National Patient Register completed the questionnaire Abdominal Hernia-Q (AHQ), with responses linked to the Danish Ventral Hernia Database. Perceived sufficiency of perioperative information was assessed using three AHQ items: prepared for surgery, postoperative emotions, and recovery concerns. Multivariable analyses were adjusted for age, severe chronic pain, suspicion of recurrence, hernia characteristics, and surgical factors. Results: Among 26 384 patients (10 108 females and 16 276 males; 79.3% (26 384 of 33 267) response rate), crude rates indicated that females were more often dissatisfied across all three items: prepared for surgery (14.4% versus 8.9%), postoperative emotions (39.1% versus 21.7%), and recovery concerns (33.6% versus 21.7%). In adjusted analyses (23 201 patients), females were also found to be more dissatisfied: prepared for surgery (OR 1.40 (95% c.i. 1.28 to 1.53); P < 0.001), postoperative emotions (OR 2.00 (95% c.i. 1.88 to 2.13); P < 0.001), and recovery concerns (OR 1.61 (95% c.i. 1.51 to 1.71); P < 0.001). All three subgroup analyses showed similar patterns. Younger age, severe chronic pain, and suspicion of recurrence were independently associated with higher levels of dissatisfaction. Conclusion: These results show a possible sex-based disparity in perceived sufficiency of perioperative information, with higher dissatisfaction reported by females. These findings suggest that perioperative counselling may need to be tailored to better meet female patients’ informational needs.