Inguinal hernia is a lump that occurs in the groin region, more common in humans, which is usually due to a part of the intestine that comes out of a weak point in the abdominal musculature.
There are 2 main types of inguinal hernia:
- In both cases.
- Treatment is done by surgery.
- To get the intestine to the right place and strengthen the muscles of the abdomen.
- So that it does not happen again.
The most common symptoms of inguinal hernia are
In infants, hernia may be harder to identify because there may be no lumps in the groin when the diaper is changed. However, one way to evaluate the presence of the hernia is to look at the groin when the baby cries or when defecating or coughing, as the pressure caused by these efforts makes the hernia more visible.
In men, in addition to the classic symptoms of the hernia, there may also be acute pain that radiates to the testicles.
In almost all hernia cases, your doctor may push your intestine into your abdomen, relieving symptoms, but surgery is still needed to permanently correct the problem. When the hernia does not return to the inside of the abdomen, there is a high risk of incarceration, in which the intestine becomes trapped and tissue death can occur.
To find out if your bowel is stuck, it’s important to watch for symptoms such as:
This type of complication is more common in infants because hernia is often difficult to identify and therefore, because treatment doesn’t start early, the hernia gets worse over time. Therefore, it is recommended that if the baby is suspected of having a hernia, consult the pediatrician as soon as possible.
Inguinal hernia surgery, also known as inguinal herniplasty, is the best form of treatment, being especially indicated when you have symptoms. Surgery is performed under spinal anesthesia and lasts approximately 2 hours.
This type of surgery can be done conventionally, in which a cut is made in the hernia area to place the intestine in place, or by laparoscopy, where only 3 small cuts are used, and a synthetic lattice may or may not be placed. , which helps strengthen the muscles of the area and prevent the formation of a new hernia. However, the type of surgery depends on the type of hernia and the patient’s health.
Healing is relatively fast, but because hernioplasty is almost always done conventionally, it is usually necessary to stay in the hospital for 1 to 2 days to ensure that vital signs are stable and that no infection occurs.
Then, when returning home, it’s important to take precautions, especially for the first 2 weeks, such as:
In addition, it is also advisable to avoid trying and sitting too long during the first month, so driving is not recommended.
A hernia diagnosis is usually made by your doctor only by observing the location. During this physical exam, it’s very common for your doctor to ask you to cough or force your belly to identify if your hernia becomes more prominent, helping to identify it.
However, in some cases, other diagnostic tests, such as an ultrasound, may be necessary for confirmation.
Hernia in the inguinal region occurs when the abdominal wall weakens, allowing the intestine to put pressure on the muscles and come out under the skin. For this reason, hernia can only occur if the abdominal muscles are weakened, which is more common in people with the condition:
In addition, hernia is also much more common in children or the elderly, due to the fragility of the abdominal wall.
The main complication of the hernia occurs when the intestine contracts too much in the abdominal wall, eventually losing the blood supply. When this happens, intestinal tissue can begin to die, causing severe pain, vomiting, nausea and difficulty moving.
These cases usually occur only in an untreated hernia and should be treated as soon as possible in the hospital to prevent the total death of the tissue. If this happens, surgery may be needed to remove part of the intestine.
In addition, as a result of an inguinal hernia, the development of a scrotal hernia, in which the hernia reaches the scrotum, which is the tissue that surrounds and protects the testicle may occur. Therefore, in addition to intestinal strangulation, there may also be changes in sperm production and storage, leading to infertility. Learn more about scrotal hernia.
It is not always possible to prevent the onset of a hernia, however, some measures may reduce the risk, such as:
In addition, quitting smoking and maintaining an ideal body weight also helps reduce pressure in the abdominal area, thus reducing the risk of hernia. Here’s how to calculate your ideal weight.