I have an inguinal hernia, should I get an operation?
I have an inguinal hernia on the left side of my groin, it is small, has appeared 2 weeks ago. It does not cause any pain at all nor does it disturb me. When lying down I don’t feel it at all. But when I stand I do see it. When I push on it I feel it. Should I get surgery done?
Male
Age: 61
Medications: BP pills and Thyroid pills
The danger with inguinal hernias is if it results in incarceration and strangulation – if it blocks your intestines. If it remains really small this should not happen. So if the pain is not causing you any discomfort or problems you can decide to take a wait and see approach and opt for surgery at a later date. However it won’t go away by itself and will probably get worse over time. Getting surgery now would remove the problem. But like with any surgery there can be complications and you will have to reduce your activities for a few weeks. But complications with this type of surgery are rare. So it is really up to you.
You may want to have a say in this decision, or you may simply want to follow your doctor’s recommendation. Either way, this information will help you understand what your choices are so that you can talk to your doctor about them.
Your options
Have surgery now to repair the inguinal hernia, even if you do not have symptoms.
Take a “wait and see” approach to surgery because the hernia does not bother you much.
This decision aid is not for parents of infants and children who have inguinal hernias. Infants and children always need surgery to repair a hernia because of the increased risk of incarceration and strangulation.
Key points to remember
@Hernias don’t go away on their own. Only surgery can repair a hernia.
@Many people are able to delay surgery for months or even years. And some people may never need surgery for a small hernia. If the hernia is small and you don’t have any symptoms, or if the symptoms don’t bother you much, you and your doctor may simply continue to watch for symptoms to occur.
@Over time, hernias tend to get bigger as the muscle wall of the belly gets weaker and more tissue bulges through.
@Many doctors recommend surgery because it prevents a rare but serious problem called strangulation. This occurs when a loop of intestine or a piece of fatty tissue is trapped inside the hernia and is cut off from its blood supply.
@Talk with your doctor before wearing a corset or truss to hold in your hernia. These devices are not recommended for treating hernias and sometimes can do more harm than good.