An Inguinal Hernia occurs when abdominal contents protrude through a hole in the muscles of the groin at the top of your inner thigh.
The appendix can sometimes form part of a right sided hernia.
Surgery
The aim of the inguinal hernia repair is to close the hole to prevent the hernia.
During your inguinal repair the muscle layers are explored and the hole (the defect) is found.
A small mesh plug (looks like a tiny, rolled up umbrella when it comes out of the box) is placed through the hole. This then opens up behind the muscles to seal the defect.
The muscles are then repaired over the front of the hernia for extra strength.
Post-surgery experience
- You will have a bruise. The scar is always numb, and this numbness sometimes goes down the inside of the thigh as well.
- A nerve that runs over the muscles usually is moved during the operation. This will often cause the nerve to “shut down” for a while afterwards. This nerve sends a branch to the inside of the thigh and to the top of the scrotum (in men), so these areas sometimes feel numb, or occasionally over sensitive.
- When the nerve recovers, you will get some odd tingling or shooting pains. These are normal and nothing to worry about.
- In men, sometimes the testicle on the side of the hernia repair may lay slightly lower than before the operation.
- The wound may also get swollen, and as the scar tissue forms it can become quite hard and nodular. This always settles down, but it can take a few months.
- The scar itself will fade and go pale over period of several months.