Objectives: Inguinal hernia (IH) repair is the most frequent day-case elective surgery in children. The aim of this study is to determine the incidence of congenital heart disease (CHD) associated with IH.

Materials and Methods: One hundred ninety-two patients have been operated for IH in our clinic between January 2002 and December 2003.

Results: Heart murmur was defined in 8 patients (4,2 %) and CHD was found in 4 of these patients (2,1 %). The incidence of CHD in IH patients was found to be twice as much as seen in normal pediatric population.

Conclusion: Cardiac examination should be done carefully in IH patients and pediatric cardiology consultation should be preferred in suspected cases.©2005, Fırat Üniversitesi, Tıp Fakültesi