To evaluate the impact of a novel hernia wearable device (HWD) on the early prognosis of patients following inguinal hernia repair.

This prospective, single-center, randomized controlled trial enrolled 261 patients with unilateral primary inguinal hernia who were admitted to Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University between March and August 2022. Participants were randomly assigned to three groups: the HWD group (n=89), the sandbag group (n=88), and the other hernia belt group (n=84). The primary outcomes included seroma incidence and area, pain intensity, patient comfort, and satisfaction at 30 days post-surgery.

At 30 days postoperatively, no significant difference was observed in the incidence of seroma among the three groups (P>0.05). However, the mean seroma area in the HWD group (1.90±0.84 cm²) was significantly smaller than that in the sandbag group (4.59±1.35 cm², P=0.048). The visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score in 3 groups showed no statistical difference (P=0.457). No significant differences were found in the Carolinas Comfort Scale (CCS) scores among the three groups (P>0.05). The comparison of patient satisfaction among the three groups showed a statistically significant difference (P=0.034). The HWD group reported significantly higher satisfaction score (9.3±1.6, P<0.05) than that of the sandbag group and the other hernia belt group (P=0.034). Notably, the "very satisfied" rate in the HWD group was significantly superior to both the sandbag and the other hernia belt groups (P=0.027).

The HWD demonstrates superior clinical efficacy compared to traditional compression methods following inguinal hernia repair. It significantly reduces the postoperative seroma area and enhances patient satisfaction without compromising overall comfort, making it an ideal alternative to traditional sandbag compression.