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Hernia

Key points about treatments

An inguinal hernia is a bulge or swelling you can see or feel in your groin. The bulge is a bit of bowel and fat that has slipped out of your abdomen and down into your groin. An operation can get rid of the bulge, reduce pain and prevent a blocked bowel.

Key points about treating a hernia

Surgery is the only treatment for a hernia.
Open surgery is done through a cut that opens up your groin. Or you can have keyhole surgery, where the surgeon uses a camera to see inside your groin.
Both operations will get rid of the bulge in your groin. You may recover faster and get less pain and numbness with keyhole surgery. But there's a higher risk of rare but serious problems, including damage to other organs or blood vessels during a keyhole operation.
Putting a patch of mesh over the opening in your muscles works better than stitching it up. Your hernia is less likely to come back this way.
If you don't have surgery, the bit of bowel that has slipped out of your abdomen can get trapped and lose its blood supply. This can be life-threatening.

This information was last updated on Jan 09, 2009

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.

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