1.How is a pediatric inguinal hernia formed? A: An inguinal hernia is formed when an organ or tissue in the abdominal cavity, together with the peritoneal wall layer, protrudes toward the body surface through a weak point or pore in the abdominal wall. Decreased strength of the abdominal wall and increased intra-abdominal pressure are the two main reasons for the development of inguinal hernia. Factors leading to increased abdominal pressure, such as frequent crying and constipation leading to distension in children, are the most common causes. 2.What are the clinical manifestations of pediatric inguinal hernia? A: The common manifestation is a mass above the scrotum, which sometimes may protrude into the scrotum and disappear when sleeping quietly. There is obvious pain when the inguinal hernia is embedded. If the embedded content is intestinal collaterals, it may also be accompanied by clinical manifestations of mechanical intestinal obstruction such as abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, constipation and abdominal distention. 3.Is it feasible to use a hernia belt for pediatric inguinal hernia? A: The purpose of the hernia belt is to reduce the chance of abdominal contents entering the hernia sac, which does not improve the chance of sphincter closure. The use of hernia belt can also cause scar formation in the hernia sac and increase the difficulty of surgery. 4. What is the timing of surgery for pediatric inguinal hernia? A: Infants within 1 year of age may be held off from surgery. The reason is that as the infant grows and develops, the abdominal muscles gradually become stronger and the abdominal wall is strengthened, so the hernia may heal on its own and disappear, therefore surgery is not recommended for children within 1 year of age; after 1 year of age, if a hernia or a new hernia still exists, surgery should be performed as soon as possible. The clinical manifestations of the child should also be taken into account. If symptoms such as impaction, pain and vomiting occur frequently, surgery should be performed as soon as possible. 5.What are the surgical methods for pediatric inguinal hernia? A: At present, there are two main types of surgical treatment, one is transabdominal small incision surgery and the other is transabdominal laparoscopic surgery. The results of both surgical methods are the same and are mainly determined by the surgeon’s custom and the patient’s family’s request. At present, our hospital carries out small incision surgery, the incision length is only 1cm, the scar is almost invisible after surgery, the operation time is fast, the post-operative recovery is fast and the safety is high. 6.What are the special preoperative preparations before pediatric groin surgery? A: The main thing is not to catch a cold, cough, runny nose, sneezing, fever and other symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection will affect the anesthesia. Only general anesthesia can be chosen for pediatric patients, and the respiratory secretions of children increase after anesthesia, so if they have respiratory tract infection, the infection will easily worsen or even suffocate after surgery. 7.What are the precautions after pediatric inguinal hernia surgery? A: After pediatric hernia surgery, you should avoid violent crying, cold, coughing, strenuous exercise and other actions that increase abdominal pressure, drink more water, eat easily digestible food such as vegetables and fruits, and prevent constipation, all of which can reduce the recurrence of hernia. 8.Is the recurrence rate of pediatric hernia high after surgery? A: The literature reports that the recurrence rate is about 5%-10%. The main factors of high recurrence are: bilateral giant hiatal hernia, huge hernia sac falling into the scrotum for a long time at the hernia ring, hernia prone to recurrent ingrowth, stubborn child with long crying time. The recurrence rate of our pediatric inguinal hernia surgery patients so far is less than 1%. Another unilateral larger hernia may appear on the other side some time after surgery, which is also related to the relative reduction of abdominal volume after ligation of the hernia sac due to high abdominal pressure in the child.