考虑到手术是修复腹股沟疝的主要选择性治疗,手术实施例数统计可视为一项可靠的发病/患病率指标。在英格兰,自 2001 年至 2002 年,进行了约 70,000 例腹股沟疝手术干预治疗(62,969 例原发性腹股沟疝,4939 例复发性腹股沟疝),占总人口的 0.14%;住院时间超过 100,000 NHS 医院床位日。[3]National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Laparoscopic surgery for inguinal hernia repair. 2004. http://guidance.nice.org.uk (last accessed 3 August 2016).https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/TA832014 年至 2015 年审计数据显示,69,637 例原发性腹股沟疝修补术完成诊疗(不包括复发性腹股沟疝修补术),其中 92% 为男性。[4]Department of Health. Hospital Episode Statistics, admitted patient care - England, 2014-15. November 2015. http://www.hesonline.nhs.uk (last accessed 10 August 2016).http://digital.nhs.uk/searchcatalogue?productid=19420&q=title%3a%22Hospital+Episode+Statistics%2c+Admitted+patient+care+-+England%22&sort=Relevance&size=10&page=1#top
在美国,约 450 万人患有腹股沟疝,每年约有 500,000 新患者被诊断为腹股沟疝,不过尚无最新数据。[5]Everhart, JE, ed. Digestive diseases in the United States: epidemiology and impact. US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 1994; NIH publication no. 94-1447.[6]Rutkow IM. Epidemiologic, economic and sociologic aspects of hernia surgery in the United States in the 1990s. Surg Clin North Am. 1998;78:941-951.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9927978?tool=bestpractice.com2003 年整个美国治疗了约 750,000 例腹股沟疝。尽管世界范围内的发病率和患病率尚不可知,但据估计,每年进行的腹股沟疝手术操作超过 2,000 万例。各国的手术率并不相同,但介于每年每十万人中 100-300 例的范围内。[7]Kingsnorth AN, LeBlanc KA. Management of abdominal hernias. 3rd ed. London, New York: Edward Arnold; 2003:40-47.虽然男女均可罹患腹股沟疝,但该病主要累及男性(男女比例为 7-9:1)。通常而言,腹股沟疝会覆盖所有年龄段患者,但发病率会随着年龄增加而增长。[8]Burcharth J, Pedersen M, Bisgaard T, et al. Nationwide prevalence of groin hernia repair. PLoS One. 2013;8:e54367.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3544713/pdf/pone.0054367.pdfhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23342139?tool=bestpractice.com男性患腹股沟疝的终身风险约为 27%,女性则为 3%。[9]Primatesta P, Goldacre MJ. Inguinal hernia repair: incidence of elective and emergency surgery, readmission and mortality. Int J Epidemiol. 1996;25:835-839.http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/25/4/835http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8921464?tool=bestpractice.com多达 20% 的成人患者为双侧腹股沟疝。[9]Primatesta P, Goldacre MJ. Inguinal hernia repair: incidence of elective and emergency surgery, readmission and mortality. Int J Epidemiol. 1996;25:835-839.http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/25/4/835http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8921464?tool=bestpractice.com[10]Zendejas B, Ramirez T, Jones T, et al. Incidence of inguinal hernia repairs in Olmsted County, MN: a population-based study. Ann Surg. 2013;257:520-526.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23388353?tool=bestpractice.com腹股沟疝家族史与风险增高有关。[11]Burcharth J, Pommergaard HC, Rosenberg J. The inheritance of groin hernia: a systematic review. Hernia. 2013;17:183-189.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23423330?tool=bestpractice.com