Facts on Inguinal Hernia

1. An Opening Where There Should Not be an Opening

A hernia is an opening or weakness allowing structures of the body to slide into unnatural positions. An inguinal hernia occurs in the area of the lower abdominal wall. It involves the path that a testicle travels when it descends into the scrotum during a person's growth and development. As the testicle descends, it carries the spermatic cord with it. The abdominal wall should close to form a tight ring around the cord. If it does not, there is a possibility for an inguinal hernia.

2. Direct and Indirect--Two Different Kinds of Hernias

There are two different kinds of inguinal hernias, a direct inguinal hernia and an indirect inguinal hernia. These two terms refer to the area of weakness. A direct inguinal hernia is a weakness in the abdominal wall itself. A direct inguinal hernia often appears after a patient exerts during heavy lifting. It is usually a bulge in the abdominal wall just above the groin. An indirect inguinal hernia is a weakness or widened opening in the area where the spermatic cord enters the scrotum. An indirect inguinal hernia appears as a bulge in the scrotum because abdominal contents slide through the opening right on into the scrotum.

3. Riskier to Not Fix It

The risk of not fixing inguinal hernias is far greater than the risk of inguinal hernia surgery. They should almost always be repaired. The risk of an unrepaired inguinal hernia is what is called an incarcerated inguinal hernia. This condition occurs when abdominal contents, often including loops of the small bowel, slide through the hernia opening and then become trapped. This creates a compromised blood supply and can lead to the death of the bowel. This can further lead to spillage of bowel contents, sepsis and death.

4. Stitching up the Wall

An inguinal hernia repair is basically a reconstruction of the area of weakened abdominal wall. This often requires no more than suturing parts of the fibrous attachments of muscles to the pubic bone. It may also include tightening the inguinal ring. Sometimes, larger hernias require the additional use of mesh to reinforce the strength of tissues.

5. A Teeny, Tiny Scar

For decades, hernia surgery remained the same. To get to the area of weakness required an incision approximately 3 or 4 inches in length. Now, with the use of scopes, surgeons can repair hernias with very small incisions. While many people could care less about the size of their scar, these smaller incisions produce less pain and disability. Many patients who undergo laparoscopic hernia repair go home hours later. It cannot, however, be used on all hernias.