Patients with severe pain often need emergency surgery and are best evaluated in an emergency room. When an inguinal hernia is no longer reducible, the abdominal contents – specifically if these including intestine – are permanently stuck outside of the abdominal cavity.
If the hernia becomes very painful, that can mean the intestine is trapped inside the hernia, cutting off blood flow to the intestine. This is uncommon, but it can be life-threatening and should be repaired immediately. If you develop significant pain, go to the Emergency Department.
Strangulated hernias, where the tissue stuck in the hernia defect starts to lose blood flow, is an emergency of the highest order. Whether it is intestinal or fat tissue, the contents of the hernia can begin to die within hours of being strangulated.
If your hernia does not bother you, most likely you can wait to have surgery. Your hernia may get worse, but it may not. Over time, hernias tend to get bigger as the muscle wall of the belly gets weaker and more tissue bulges through. In some cases small, painless hernias never need repair.
If this condition is left untreated longer than 6 hours, incarcerated hernia can cut off blood flow to part of the intestine, resulting in strangulated hernia.
(SLS). Hernias can go misdiagnosed in women, and can instead be thought to be ovarian cysts, fibroids, endometriosis, or other abdominal issues, according to the SLS. Women's hernias can be small and internal. They might not be a bulge that can be felt in an exam or be visible outside the body, according to the SLS.
Spontaneous rupture of an abdominal hernia is very rare and usually occurs in incisional or recurrent groin hernia. The rupture of abdominal hernia demands emergency surgery, to prevent further obstruction, strangulation of bowel and to cover its contents.
Seek immediate care if a hernia bulge turns red, purple or dark or if you notice any other signs or symptoms of a strangulated hernia. See your doctor if you have a painful or noticeable bulge in your groin on either side of your pubic bone.
Many people are able to delay surgery for months or even years. And some people may never need surgery for a small hernia. If the hernia is small and you don't have any symptoms, or if the symptoms don't bother you much, you and your doctor may simply continue to watch for symptoms to occur.
You cannot push the hernia back into place with gentle pressure when you are lying down. The area over the hernia turns red or becomes tender.
Pain: In most cases, the area will be sore as you heal. But some people develop chronic, long-lasting pain after surgery for a groin hernia, for example. Experts think the procedure may damage certain nerves. Laparoscopic surgery may cause less pain than an open procedure.
If you ignore a hernia and it grows and worsens, then you are at greater risk of complications which can be life threatening. Hernias cannot heal on their own, and whilst some may be painless, it is still important to visit your GP if you suspect that you have one.
It is estimated that 75% of all hernias occur in the inguinal region. The most serious complication of a hernia is strangulation, which occurs in approximately 1–3% of groin hernias.
Strangulated hernias are life threatening and require emergency medical care.
Many hernias flatten when patient lies down. Patients also can present with groin discomfort or pain. The discomfort may be worse by bending or lifting. These symptoms tend to be relieved at night when patients are lying down and the hernia reduces.
Feelings of dull aching and pain in the groin area are common for both a muscle strain and a hernia. A key indicator that you may have a hernia, however, is if you have a small bulge or lump on one side of the groin. This is the result of an area of tissue or organ pushing through the groin or abdominal muscle.
Call your doctor right away if you have any of the symptoms of a strangulated hernia, including: Nausea, vomiting, or both. Fever. Sudden pain that gets worse quickly.
An incarcerated hernia can become strangulated, which cuts off the blood flow to the tissue that's trapped and can lead to life-threatening complications. Excruciating pain due to ischaemic changes in entrapped gastrointestinal tissue may endanger life causing neurogenic shock.
Comparing surgical repair options
Open hernia repair is a major surgery that's performed with the aid of general anesthesia or local anesthesia and sedation. It's done through one or two standard-sized incisions (three to six inches in length) that allow the surgeon to fully visualize and access the problematic area.
Resting after surgery is important, but walking after open hernia repair is actually recommended. In the days following your surgery, you can start walking around as soon as you are able.
A hernia usually does not go away without surgery. Non-surgical approaches such as wearing a corset, binder, or truss may exert gentle pressure on the hernia and keep it in place. These methods may ease the pain or discomfort and may be used if you are not fit for the surgery or awaiting surgery.
Large hernia defects are defined in the literature as up to 10 cm in size, but Dr. Ross and his colleagues hypothesized that massive hernia needed a more accurate cutoff size.