Inguinal Hernia is a condition in which internal organs cause swelling under the skin due to openings in the inguinal region and sometimes due to tearing or weakening.
While swelling due to inguinal hernia becomes evident especially in cases of increased intra-abdominal pressure (straining, coughing, carrying heavy loads, standing for a long time, constipation, pregnancy), it disappears when lying on the back. This is due to the relaxation of the abdominal wall muscles and the return of the compressed organ into the abdomen.
The organ often found in the hernia sac is the small intestine. Apart from this, the large intestine, intra-abdominal fatty tissue, sometimes the bladder and even appendicitis can be found in the hernia sac.
In the early stages of hernia formation, regardless of the organ inside, it will disappear when the patient is pushed inwards by hand. However, due to adhesions that develop in long-term hernias, it will not go back and the symptoms and complaints of inguinal hernia will increase.
Inguinal hernias are the most common group among all hernias and are more common in men.
As the formation mechanism;
The inguinal canal that needs to be closed remains open or reopened after closing (indirect hernias)
Tears in the abdominal wall as a result of strain (direct hernias)
Weakness in the abdominal wall with advancing age (direct hernias)
Due to weakness in the area of the blood vessels leading to the legs (femoral hernias) (more common in women)
Inspection is the gold standard. Most of the patients apply to the doctor thinking that there may be a hernia.
The complaint in the symptoms of inguinal hernia is usually pain and swelling in the inguinal region. Swelling becomes evident during outpatient and inpatient examinations, and the organ located in the hernia sac can be clearly evaluated by ultrasound.
On the other hand, in sportive and athletic people, swelling is not seen during the examination, sometimes there are complaints of pulling sensation in the leg and chronic pain at a point. (Point Hernia) In such cases, ultrasound may also be insufficient, and it may be necessary to evaluate with MR.
The treatment of hernias is absolute surgical repair. The hernia area is repaired by laparoscopic (closed) or open surgery and is supported by a synthetic material (patch).
The most feared and emergency surgery situations in inguinal hernias;
Compression of the hernia sac (intestinal knot)
Strangulation of the hernia (impairment of the blood circulation of the compressed organ) This situation can be vital, especially if the blood circulation of the intestine is impaired!
The information, images and comments on the surgical operations mentioned on this website are for informational purposes only. The decision on diagnosis, treatment and follow-up methods will be made by the doctor.