“How severe is an inguinal hernia?”
A bulge in my left groin and pain when standing. It sometimes hurts occasionally when I lift heavy things.
Male | 27 years old
Complaint duration: 21 days
Medications: None
Conditions: None
8 Answers
I can not asses the severity without a physical exam. Regardless you already know that you have an inguinal hernia. You will need a referral to surgeon.
While most inguinal hernias pose no immediate threat some can and unpredictably entrap intestines and become an urgent problem. It is a mechanical failure of the connective tissue and requires a mechanical solution ie. surgical repair.
An inguinal hernia is an accident eating to happen. Nothing good can come from it.
It will never go away, only gets worse and can create potential life threatening problems.
The repair can be performed under local anesthesia with sedation as an out patient.
Personally, mine was repaired at 1:30 PM on a Friday and I was in the office on a Monday morning.
The alternative (no repair) is that what is popping out in the hernia is a piece of the intestine. Within minutes, the bowel can be squeezed tightly enough to cut off the blood supply to the intestine and it can become gangrenous! That’s potentially life threatening!
So, the simple answer is that got a hernia? Get it fixed at the earliest convenience by someone who does the procedures frequently enough to have an expertise in the surgery.
Waiting until it becomes an emergency courts disaster. As an emergency, one doesn’t have the luxury of having an expert surgeon during an elective daytime procedure!
MJS.
It will never go away, only gets worse and can create potential life threatening problems.
The repair can be performed under local anesthesia with sedation as an out patient.
Personally, mine was repaired at 1:30 PM on a Friday and I was in the office on a Monday morning.
The alternative (no repair) is that what is popping out in the hernia is a piece of the intestine. Within minutes, the bowel can be squeezed tightly enough to cut off the blood supply to the intestine and it can become gangrenous! That’s potentially life threatening!
So, the simple answer is that got a hernia? Get it fixed at the earliest convenience by someone who does the procedures frequently enough to have an expertise in the surgery.
Waiting until it becomes an emergency courts disaster. As an emergency, one doesn’t have the luxury of having an expert surgeon during an elective daytime procedure!
MJS.
It is advised that you attend your GP for a referral to a General Surgeon.
Doesn't sound too serious now. Get an appointment before it does. If it gets hard, more painful and will not reduce go to the nearest ER.
If the hernia is reductible a watchful waiting is an option, but it wouldn't heal by itself... it will get bigger and more symptomatic with time, as I see your hernia is symptomatic, It would recommend a operative treatment within the next 3-6 month. We the symptoms are annoying too much than I recommend a operation earlier.
Likely, this could be an inguinal hernia and the pain on lifting might have made you aware of it but it might have been present for a long time. Typically younger patients would have types of inguinal hernia. which are present from birth.
Once clinically confirmed, treatment is simple and relatively painless with long lasting results and minimal complications.
Once clinically confirmed, treatment is simple and relatively painless with long lasting results and minimal complications.
Consult Surgery.
