What is inguinal

For instance, laparoscopic herniorrhaphy may be preferable if you want a shorter recovery time. But your risk of hernia recurrence may be greater with laparoscopic repair. Follow these tips:. Early surgical treatment can help cure inguinal hernias.

These can include infection after surgery or poor surgical wound healing. Call your doctor if you experience new symptoms or if side effects occur after treatment. A hernia occurs when an organ pushes through the muscle or tissue that holds it in place.

Learn about hiatal hernia, treatment, diagnosis, pregnancy…. Inguinal hernia occurs when part of the small intestine protrudes through the groin. Here are your options for repair and what to expect during…. A femoral hernia will appear as a bulge near the groin or thigh.

Learn more about these two types of hernias. Learn about the herniorrhaphy surgery procedure, including how long it takes to recover. Laparoscopy is used to examine the abdominal organs. But that doesn't make it easy to quit. Our readers sent us their tips on how to quit…. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Although it can occur in men and women, it is much more common in men.

This is because the male testicle starts inside the abdomen and has to go down through an opening in the groin area to reach the scrotum the sac that holds the testicles.

If this opening does not close at birth, a hernia develops. In women, this type of hernia can occur if reproductive organs or the small intestine slides into the groin area because of a weakness in the abdominal muscles. Direct inguinal hernia. This type of hernia is caused by weakening of your abdominal muscles over time and is more likely to be seen in adults.

Direct inguinal hernias occur only in men. The main symptom is a visible bulge in your groin area. In men, an inguinal hernia may extend down into the scrotum and cause an enlarged scrotum.

Small hernias may slide back and forth through the opening in the abdomen and not cause any symptoms. Larger hernias may be massaged back into the abdomen.

Symptoms of hernias that go back and forth include:. An inguinal hernia that can't be moved back into the abdomen is called an incarcerated hernia. This is a dangerous situation because the part of your intestine inside the hernia can become strangulated, which is a medical emergency. Symptoms of a strangulated inguinal hernia include:. Inguinal hernia is most often diagnosed through a medical history and physical examination.

Your doctor will ask you questions about hernia symptoms. During the exam, he or she will look for and feel for a bulge in your groin or scrotal area. Patients most often receive general anesthesia for laparoscopic hernia surgery. Recovery time after laparoscopic surgery may be shorter than after open hernia surgery.

Research suggests that men with inguinal hernias that cause few or no symptoms may be able to safely delay surgery, an approach called watchful waiting. About 70 percent of men who delay surgery will develop new or worsening symptoms and will need surgery within 5 years.

If an inguinal hernia causes complications , such as becoming stuck or strangulated, you will need emergency surgery to repair the hernia and treat the complications. You may have some pain or discomfort after hernia surgery.

The pain is typically mild and goes away within 2 weeks after surgery. Talk with your doctor about when you can safely return to your usual activities after hernia surgery. Many people can go back to work and resume daily activities within 3 to 5 days after hernia surgery. Surgery to repair an inguinal hernia is quite safe.

However, possible complications of hernia surgery include. Talk with your doctor about the risks of hernia surgery and symptoms you should watch for after surgery. For example, you should call your doctor right away if you have. The NIDDK conducts and supports clinical trials in many diseases and conditions, including digestive diseases. The trials look to find new ways to prevent, detect, or treat disease and improve quality of life. Clinical trials—and other types of clinical studies —are part of medical research and involve people like you.

When you volunteer to take part in a clinical study, you help doctors and researchers learn more about disease and improve health care for people in the future.

Find out if clinical studies are right for you. Griffin P. Rodgers explaining the importance of participating in clinical trials. You can find clinical studies on inguinal hernias at www. In addition to searching for federally funded studies, you can expand or narrow your search to include clinical studies from industry, universities, and individuals; however, the NIH does not review these studies and cannot ensure they are safe.

Always talk with your health care provider before you participate in a clinical study. The NIDDK translates and disseminates research findings to increase knowledge and understanding about health and disease among patients, health professionals, and the public. Seymour, M. See your doctor if you have a painful or noticeable bulge in your groin on either side of your pubic bone. The bulge is likely to be more noticeable when you're standing, and you usually can feel it if you put your hand directly over the affected area.

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Your in-depth digestive health guide will be in your inbox shortly. You will also receive emails from Mayo Clinic on the latest health news, research, and care. In many people, the abdominal wall weakness that leads to an inguinal hernia occurs prior to birth when a weakness in the abdominal wall muscle doesn't close properly.

Other inguinal hernias develop later in life when muscles weaken or deteriorate due to aging, strenuous physical activity or coughing that accompanies smoking. Weaknesses can also occur in the abdominal wall later in life, especially after an injury or abdominal surgery.