A femoral hernia is a lump that appears in the thigh near the groin due to the movement of some of the fat from the abdomen and intestine to the groin area. It is more common in women, usually has no symptoms and is not very common. This hernia appears in the femoral canal, which is located just below the groin, where the artery and femoral vein and certain nerves are present.
The diagnosis of femoral hernia is made by a physical examination and ultrasound performed by the doctor, in which the characteristics of the hernia, such as size and swelling in the area, are observed. Femoral hernia, when diagnosed, is usually monitored periodically by your doctor to control your symptoms.
- Femoral hernia does not have a specific cause.
- But it occurs mainly when there is a condition that increases pressure in the abdomen.
- As in the case of people who lift a lot of weight.
- Are overweight.
- Smoke.
- Have frequent coughing or chronic constipation.
- More likely to develop this type of hernia.
- Femoral hernia is not common.
- But occurs more often in older women or after pregnancy.
- Better understand why hernias occur.
Femoral hernia is usually asymptomatic and usually appears only as a lump in the thigh near the groin, but symptoms can appear by size, especially discomfort during lifting, exertion, or weight.
In addition, the hernia can impede blood flow to the intestine, with a serious femoral hernia condition called strangulation or intestinal obstruction, whose symptoms are:
If the hernia is not corrected by surgery, the person may be at risk of death because blood flow is compromised. So when the first symptoms appear, it’s important to see your doctor to confirm the diagnosis.
Your family doctor may diagnose femoral hernia through a physical exam by observing and palpation of the area. Ultrasound can also be used to confirm the diagnosis and better observe the hernia.
Differential diagnosis is made for the inguinal hernia, which is a lump that appears in the groin, due to the exit of part of the intestine, and is more common in humans. Learn more about inguinal hernia.
Treatment of femoral hernia is established by your doctor and depends on the size of the hernia and the discomfort the person feels. If the hernia is small and does not cause discomfort, it is recommended to follow up regularly by the doctor and schedule surgery to correct the hernia, always observing if there are symptoms and risk of strangulation.
In situations where the hernia is large and causes a lot of discomfort, the indication is to correct the femoral hernia by surgery, as this type of hernia has a high chance of strangulation. After the procedure, the hernia is unlikely to recur. See how hernia surgery is performed.