Anatomy
The Inguinal
region is where the lower abdominal muscles meet pelvic bone and rectus muscle. Hernias which occur here are
the most common type of hernia with over 1 million operations in the USA each year. There are two basic types, direct
inguinal hernias and indirect inguinal hernias.
Direct Inguinal Hernia.
The inguinal space is an area where a lot of pulling and potential tearing can occur. It is a very common type
of hernia suffered, particularly in men. This can occcur with straining and age. Repair of this
type of hernia is done with a mesh material.
Indirect Inguinal Hernia
Usually,
one is born with this type of inguinal weakness. It can present early in life or discovered years later when it
starts to bulge.
Operation.
There are two options for either type of inguinal
hernia.
- Traditional open inguinal hernia repair
- Laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair.
The vast majority of cases are out patient (same day). Actual surgery time is under an hour.
Total time at the hospital is aproximately 4 hours. Most patients recover in about 5 -7 days but heavy lifting should
be avoided for 3-6 weeks.
To learn more, go to the Frequently Asked Questions link below and click.
