Inguinal hernia
Overview
An inguinal hernia is the most common form of hernia, occurring in 90% of hernia cases in men and 10% of hernia cases in women. In fact, it is estimated that one in three men will develop it at some point in their lives. Worldwide, more than 20 million operations are performed annually to treat inguinal hernias.
Symptoms and causes
An inguinal hernia occurs when tissue, such as part of the intestine or fat, protrude from the lower abdominal wall through a weak spot in the abdominal muscles.
In the early stage, an inguinal hernia has no symptoms, except perhaps some swelling in the area. The most characteristic features are swelling of the groin, as well as pain or discomfort at the site. As the disease progresses, the inguinal hernia is classified as “irreducible”, meaning that it is not possible to return the contents to their original position. If the inguinal hernia is left untreated, the next stage is strangulation. This situation is highly urgent and requires immediate surgical intervention. The symptoms that accompany a strangulated inguinal hernia are severe pain, vomiting and ileus.
An inguinal hernia is primarily caused by an increase in pressure within the abdomen.
The most common risk factors for developing an inguinal hernia are:
heavy manual labor, weightlifting, smoking, heavy exercise, pregnancy, chronic prolonged coughing, chronic constipation, and obesity. Apart from these, some people have a genetic predisposition to develop inguinal hernias.
Diagnosis
Your doctor will diagnose an inguinal hernia through a clinical examination. If the hernia is very small or if other conditions (e.g., hydrocele) are present, your medical team may also request an ultrasound.
Treatment
Inguinal hernias are treated surgically, either through open surgery or laparoscopically, meaning with a few tiny incisions.
Why GMI
At the GMI, our medical team of internationally acclaimed physicians guide each patient through their entire journey, from their diagnostic work-up to their treatment and post-treatment care. Our patients will partner with physicians who specialize in diagnosing and treating inguinal hernias. The GMI team will never offer a simple “one size fits all” approach to any patient. We believe each patient’s case is as individual as they are and strive to find the best solution for each of our patients, taking their specific case and diagnosis, their lifestyle, and choices into account.
We believe each of our patients is more than their diagnosis. That’s why our dedicated paramedics team supports our patients by offering more than just expert medical care. We offer psychological help, integrative medical services (including yoga classes, and acupuncture) and have a GMI Patient Advocacy Program.
Adhering to our passion for innovation, and desire to progress the medical field, the GMI both initiates and participates in several clinical trials in which the most modern and advanced treatment concepts are tested.
