Inguinal hernia repair

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What are the Possible Risks of the Procedure?

Inguinal Hernia Repair

Your surgeon will do everything possible to minimize risks, but an inguinal hernia repair, like all operations, has risks.

Wound Infection Hernia recurrence Bleeding Injury to bladder Seroma (fluid build up at site) pain and numbness in the groin area caused by a nerve being damaged or trapped during surgery Your risk of complications depends on your overall health and the reason for your surgery.

What is an Inguinal Hernia Repair?

Your hernia can be repaired either as an open or laparoscopic approach. The repair can be done by using sutures only or adding a piece of mesh.

Open Hernia Repair In this procedure the surgeon makes an incision in your groin and pushes the protruding tissue back into your abdomen.

The surgeon then sews the weakened area, often reinforcing it with a synthetic mesh.

Laparoscopic Hernia Repair In this procedure the surgeon operates through several small incisions in your abdomen. The surgeon will use laparoscopic instruments to repair your hernia. Gas is used to inflate your abdomen to make the internal organs easier to see. A small tube equipped with a tiny camera (laparoscope) is inserted into one incision. Guided by the camera, the surgeon inserts tiny instruments through other small incisions to repair the hernia using synthetic mesh.

Why is it required?

A groin hernia occurs when the intestine bulges through the opening in the muscle in the groin area. A reducible hernia can be pushed back into the opening. When intestine or abdominal tissue fills the hernia sac and cannot be pushed back, it is called irreducible or incarcerated. A hernia is strangulated if the intestine is trapped in the hernia pouch and the blood supply to the intestine is decreased. This is a surgical emergency

What are the symptoms?

The most common symptoms are: • Bulge in the groin, scrotum, or abdominal area that often increases in size with coughing or straining.

• Mild pain or pressure at the hernia site.

• Numbness or irritation due to pressure on the nerves around the hernia.

• Sharp abdominal pain and vomiting can mean that the intestine has slipped through the hernia sac and is strangulated. This is a surgical emergency and immediate treatment is needed

How is it Diagnosed?

A physical exam is usually all that's needed to diagnose an inguinal hernia. Your doctor will check for a bulge in the groin area. Because standing and coughing can make a hernia more prominent, you'll likely be asked to stand and cough or strain.

If the diagnosis isn't readily apparent, your doctor might order an imaging test, such as an abdominal ultrasound, CT scan or MRI.