Inguinal Hernia
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Your Personalized Treatment Plan
Do not limit your treatment options only to the nearest hospital.
We offer the most effective, quick and affordable treatment for inguinal herrnia,
thanks to the world’s largest hospital network.
A hernia occurs when tissue from one body cavity bulges through an opening in your muscle wall into another. Inguinal hernias are the most common type of hernia. They happen when abdominal tissue, such as belly fat or a loop of intestines, bulges through an opening in your lower abdominal wall . This is the wall that separates your abdomen from your groin.
Inguinal hernias occur in the inguinal canal, which is a passageway that runs down either side of your pelvis into your sex organs. They’re also called groin hernias. They’re the most common type of groin hernia, though not the only type. Less common are femoral hernias, which happen in the smaller femoral canal that runs underneath the inguinal canal.
Complete Recovery
No Hidden Fees
No Waiting Lists
Leading Surgeons
Private treatment in our hospital network allows you skip waiting lists while at the same time reducing the costs treatment considerably, up to 50% cheaper, in countries that are just a short flight from home. The countries listed below make excellent choices with modern hospitals and well-trained English speaking surgeons.
Our medical consultants will advise you on the best choice for inguinal hernia in one of our leading hospitals. We will evaluate your current condition, expectations and other related factors, and offer you the most suitable option, respecting your health and the individual needs of your body and lifestyle. Your health is unique and so should be your solution.
- Berlin
- Zurich
- Vienna
- Paris
- Madrid
- Milan
- Warsaw
- Istanbul
Treatment of Inguinal Hernia
Healthcare providers recommend surgery for most inguinal hernias, especially in children and women since most inguinal hernias will eventually cause symptoms, and children and women are more at risk of dangerous complications. For men with small hernias that aren’t causing symptoms, doctors may take a wait-and-watch approach. But most will need treatment eventually.
The object of hernia repair surgery is to move the hernia contents back into your abdominal cavity and close the gap. This is also called herniorrhaphy. Sometimes, surgeons reinforce the weak spot with tissue from another part of your body, or with a fine synthetic mesh. This is called hernioplasty.
Hernia repair is one of the most common surgical procedures performed worldwide and can often be done on an outpatient basis. Most hernia repairs can be managed by minimally invasive surgery methods, but hernias that are more complicated may require open surgery. Around 5% of hernia repair surgeries are emergencies. The type of surgery you have will depend on your condition, prior surgical history, and the experience and judgment of your surgeon.
- Laparoscopic surgery is a minimally invasive technique. Your surgeon makes several small, half-inch incisions in your abdomen, which heal relatively fast. Through one “keyhole,” they insert a laparoscope, a thin tube with a video camera attached. They’ll make the repairs through the other holes using long, thin instruments and guided by the video camera.
- Robotic hernia repair also uses a laparoscope. The difference is that the surgeon is seated at a console in the operating room and handles the surgical instruments from the console.
- Open surgery is the traditional method for hernia repair. Your surgeon makes one long cut across your pelvis to open up your pelvic cavity.
If you have a pinched or strangulated bowel, your surgeon may have to remove the affected section (bowel resection). You might have to have a temporary ostomy while your bowel heals from surgery. Your bowel will be reconnected and your ostomy closed in a second surgery later on.
Complications of Inguinal Hernia
Complications
Types
Causes
Symptoms
Diagnosis
Complications
Inguinal hernias don’t improve by themselves. They usually worsen. You won’t necessarily have complications, but the risk does increase over time. The risk is highest for children because they’re still growing and their hernias will enlarge at a faster rate. Children also tend to have indirect hernias, which are more likely to go into their scrotum. An inguinal hernia in a child shouldn’t be left untreated.
Groin hernias in women are rarer but tend to be more serious. A woman with an inguinal hernia is likely to also have a hidden femoral hernia behind it, which will only be found through surgery. Femoral hernias have a higher risk of complications, and 50% of hidden femoral hernias in women require emergency surgery.
- Enlargement over time. The pressure of an existing hernia on weakened tissues can have a snowball effect, making things worse. In those AMAB, an enlarged testicular hernia that moves down into your scrotum can cause painful swelling.
- Incarceration. An incarcerated hernia is one that can’t be “reduced” — physically moved back into place. A trapped hernia is more likely to become pinched as it grows bigger, causing pain and other complications.
- Small bowel obstruction. If part of your small intestine is herniated and becomes trapped and pinched, it can cause a blockage. It may stop you from being able to poop or pass gas, causing severe abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.
- Strangulation. A strangulated hernia has been cut off from blood supply. This can lead to inflammation and infection of the tissue, and eventually tissue death (gangrene). Strangulation is a medical emergency.
Types
- Direct inguinal hernia: A direct inguinal hernia penetrates directly through the wall of your inguinal canal. This type of hernia occurs in adults over time, from a combination of weakening abdominal muscles and chronic pressure on the muscle wall.
- Indirect inguinal hernia: An indirect inguinal hernia enters your inguinal canal through the top. This usually occurs because of a birth defect. In some fetuses, the opening to their canal doesn’t close all the way during development in the uterus.
Causes
An inguinal hernia occurs when there’s a weakness or opening in your lower abdominal wall that allows abdominal tissue to push through. Many things can contribute to this, including:
- An opening or weak spot that’s present at birth.
- Congenital differences in the strength of your connective tissue (collagen).
- An opening or weak spot from previous abdominal surgery.
- Chronic coughing or sneezing.
- Chronic straining to pee or poop.
- Frequent strenuous exercise or manual labor.
- Years of pregnancy and carrying small children.
- Jobs that require standing for many hours at a time.
- Intrabdominal pressure from chronic obesity.
- Normal age-related tissue degeneration.
Symptoms
Not all inguinal hernias have symptoms. Sometimes, symptoms come and go. A hernia may slide in and out of the opening, or you may only feel it during certain activities. In children, you may see a lump in their groin area that appears bigger when they cry. It may go away when they sleep. An indirect inguinal hernia may not be palpable (able to be felt) to the touch because it may be tucked behind muscle fibers.
You might notice:
- A bulge in your groin area on either side of your pubic bone. It can go into your scrotum or labia.
- A feeling of pressure or heaviness in your groin.
- Pain in your groin, especially when straining, lifting, coughing or bending over.
- A burning or pinching sensation that may radiate through your pelvis or down your leg.
Diagnosis
A physical examination is usually enough to diagnose an inguinal hernia. Your healthcare provider will try to see and feel the hernia. They may ask you to cough or to bear down as though you were pooping to make the hernia emerge. They’ll also want to know if the hernia can be massaged back into place, or if it’s stuck (incarcerated).
If they can’t see the hernia from the outside, they may order an imaging test to see it from the inside. An ultrasound will usually do the trick, but in rare cases, they may need to use something more specific, such as a CT scan.
