The most common type of groin hernia is the ‘inguinal hernia’, which represents the bulk of groin hernia repairs performed across the world. Inguinal hernias are more common in men than women due to the passage of the structures supplying and draining out of each testicle passing through the layers of the groin muscles. This creates an area of potential weakness through which the hernia may form.
A hernia is quite simply a ‘hole‘ in the abdominal wall through which the internal organs may protrude. Inguinal hernia symptoms include a lump which is more obvious when the patient stands or coughs and disappears on lying down and are rarely painful. If there is severe pain the hernia has more than likely become ‘strangulated’. This is when the contents of the hernia are unable to return to their normal place and hence lose their blood supply. Most hernias are apparent on examination by an experienced clinician although in some circumstances it may be necessary to get a radiological assessment.
The principle of repairing inguinal hernias involves the placement of ‘mesh’, which is usually made of plastic. The mesh provides a durable reinforcement of the hernia defect and causes far less pain than previous non mesh repairs. The ‘mesh‘ repair has led to a drastic reduction in the recurrence rates of groin hernia repairs and is relatively easy to perform.
Mr Arjun Shankar
