Hérnia Inguinal no Contexto Hospitalar Brasileiro: Evolução das Internações e Análise Regional entre 2021 e 2025

Abstract

Introduction: Inguinal hernia is one of the most common conditions in general surgery practice and places significant demand on hospital services, given the high frequency of surgical treatment and the risk of complications. Objective: To analyze trends in hospital admissions for inguinal hernia in Brazil and its five macro-regions between 2021 and 2025, considering absolute numbers and admission rates per 100,000 inhabitants. Methodology: This was an ecological, retrospective, descriptive, and quantitative study using secondary data from the Unified Health System’s Hospital Information System (SIH/SUS), made available by DATASUS. Admissions across all age groups, sexes, and race/color categories were included. Hospitalizations were analyzed by processing year and macro-region; rates per 100,000 inhabitants were calculated based on reference population data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). Results and Discussion: Between 2021 and 2025, 873,687 hospital admissions for inguinal hernia were recorded in Brazil. The annual number rose from 90,565 in 2021 to 204,109 in 2025—an increase of 125.4%—with the highest figure recorded in 2024 (213,920). The Southeast region accounted for the highest number of hospitalizations during the period (344,320; 39.4%), followed by the Northeast (243,948; 27.9%). The national rate increased from 44.60 to 100.51 admissions per 100,000 inhabitants. Regionally, the South stood out in more recent years, reaching the highest rate in 2025 (120.91 per 100,000). The results demonstrated an increase in hospitalizations and regional heterogeneity, although they do not allow for the determination of causes or the inference of a statistically significant trend. Conclusion: There was a significant increase in hospital admissions for inguinal hernia in Brazil between 2021 and 2025, accompanied by relevant regional differences. The findings reinforce the epidemiological and clinical importance of this condition for General Surgery and may contribute to assessing demand and planning surgical services.