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A hernia is simply a hole in the usually intact, flat abdominal wall or inguinal (groin) area. Straining, increasing abdominal pressure with constipation, coughing, prostate problems or heavy lifting will increase the hole size and also fill the hole with protruding fat or intestine causing the classic bulge or bump seen in the abdominal wall or groin.
When the hernia is diagnosed (usually with a simple physician's examination) then surgery is indicated in order to close and patch the hole (hernia repair). This can be achieved by open or laparoscopic methods.
The choice of repair is decided by the type of hernia, surgeon’s preference and the patient’s wishes. The surgery takes 30-45 minutes to complete and the patient is requested to have slowly progressive activity until they are able to return to work 4-8 weeks after surgery.
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