Hernia

When part of the inside of the body pushes through a weakness in the surrounding muscle or tissue wall, it can cause a bulge under the skin. This is a hernia.

Hernias are usually found in the abdomen. The most common form is known as an inguinal hernia, where part of the bowel pushes through a weakness in the groin, called the inguinal canal. This is a passageway from the abdomen to the scrotum. Inguinal hernias mostly affect men and are increasingly commonly older you get. However, they can also affect infant boys.

Untreated hernias usually get bigger and more painful with time, especially when lifting. Eventually, the muscle around the hernia may become so tight that the blood supply to the tissues inside the hernia is cut off. This is known as strangulation and requires emergency surgery. Hernia treatment usually involves some form of surgical operation and your doctor may give you an option between open or keyhole surgery. In open surgery, your surgeon will make a cut in your groin and push the bulge back through the weak spot. The muscle wall is then reinforced with a mesh patch.

In keyhole or laparoscopic surgery, your surgeon will make smaller cuts and use special instruments to repair the hernia. There are two main types of laparoscopic surgery. In one, the muscular weakness is repaired by inserting mesh through the lining of the abdominal wall. The other form of keyhole surgery repairs the muscular weakness without going through this lining. After surgery, there is a chance that your inguinal hernia may come back. However, the risk is very small.