1.How is a pediatric hernia formed? Pediatric hernia, also known as inguinal hernia, is mostly caused by the failure to close the peritoneal sheath during the descent of the testes in embryonic life, resulting in the protrusion of the intestinal canal or ovary inside the abdominal cavity outside the abdominal cavity, which is a congenital disease, but not every child develops it after birth, and some of them appear only after they start elementary school. It is more common in boys than in girls, and 2 to 3 times more on the right side than on the left. 2.What are the symptoms of pediatric hernia? The main manifestation of pediatric hernia is the appearance of a mass in the inguinal region and scrotum, which can be returned to the abdominal cavity under normal circumstances. When the intra-abdominal pressure increases due to crying, strenuous activity or other reasons, the mass increases significantly, but after quietness, lying down or sleep, the mass can shrink or disappear completely. 3.What should I do if I find that my child has a pediatric hernia? For children within half a year of age, they should be treated under observation first. Some of them have the possibility of self-healing, and since the children are young and of low weight during this period, they are less tolerant of anesthesia and are usually not operated on. At this time, it should be noted that if the child cries vigorously and “bulges a bag” in the inguinal region and does not disappear on its own, it indicates “inguinal hernia entrapment” and should be seen within 2 hours to prevent necrosis of the intestines and ovaries that have fallen into the hernia sac. For children over half a year old, surgery should be performed promptly. It is very unlikely that inguinal hernia will heal on its own after the child is half a year old! Normal children are safe for anesthesia for hernia surgery and should be operated promptly. If surgery is not performed, the normal activities of the child are affected and the hernia can protrude with a little movement or crying and even become life-threatening with impaction. Therefore, the current international and domestic authoritative treatment norms recommend that children with pediatric hernia older than 6 months should be operated in time, regardless of the length of time the hernia has been found. 4. Is a pediatric hernia belt useful? The standard use of hernia belt can reduce the number of hernias protruding, but it cannot cure the hernia. However, if the hernia belt is tied too tightly, it may cause local skin necrosis, and if it is tied too loosely, it cannot prevent the protrusion of the hernia by local pressure, so it is not recommended! 5.What about pediatric hernia surgery? There are two main methods of pediatric hernia surgery: traditional open surgery and laparoscopic surgery. 1) In the traditional open surgery, a small incision of about 2 cm is made at the root of the thigh to find the hernia sac for ligation: this method is convenient and quick and requires less anesthesia. 2) In the minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery, a 0.5 cm incision is made at the navel to place the laparoscope, and then a needle is passed through the belly to repair the hernia sac. The advantage of the laparoscopic technique is that the surgeon can simultaneously check whether a hernia exists on the opposite side at the same time and there is no obvious scar after the operation. Minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery is currently popular in major international and domestic children’s hospitals. Regardless of the surgical method, the surgical safety and surgical results are excellent. At present, our hospital performs pediatric hernia surgery on 1000 children per year, and we are experienced in surgery and the related research results have been published in international journals. We follow the concept of “minimally invasive, painless and rapid recovery”, and children recover quickly after surgery and can generally be discharged home on the second day after surgery. 6.Is anesthesia safe for pediatric hernia surgery? Pediatric hernia surgery can be performed under general anesthesia or intravenous general anesthesia + sacral anesthesia. The anesthesia method is usually chosen by the anesthesiologist according to the child’s condition. However, it is also related to the anesthesiologist’s technique and the advantages and disadvantages of the anesthesia machine, so it is recommended that pediatric hernia surgery be performed in a maternal and child health hospital with specialized pediatric surgery. 7.What should I pay attention to when I am hospitalized for pediatric hernia? Under normal circumstances, pediatric hernia surgery requires hospitalization. Before surgery, you need to ensure that your child is in good health and that he or she does not have respiratory infections or skin allergies, diarrhea, etc. It takes 2-3 days to be hospitalized for surgery, and the child should not eat for 4-6 hours before and after surgery (to prevent vomiting and choking during and after surgery), and is usually discharged on the second day after surgery. The total cost of hospitalization may vary from hospital to hospital and from surgery to surgery, but in our hospital the cost is around 5300-7000 (unilateral). 8.What issues should I pay attention to after pediatric hernia surgery? (1) Parents should pay attention to the healing of the incision after pediatric hernia surgery, and avoid strenuous activities, constipation, violent coughing and other factors that cause increased abdominal pressure for 1 month after surgery to prevent recurrence of the hernia. Generally come to the hospital for review 1 week, 1 month and 3 months after surgery to understand the healing of the incision. (2) Pay attention to whether there is any incision infection. Hernia surgery is usually performed with cosmetic sutures and the doctor will protect the incision with medical glue, so there is no need to change medicine or remove stitches after surgery. If the testicles are often not in the scrotum, you need to find a doctor to review them. If a baby has a pediatric hernia, he or she should consult a pediatric surgeon as soon as possible and seek standardized treatment under the guidance of a pediatric surgeon. At present, pediatric hernia surgery is safe and effective, and the cost of surgery is not high, so it is recommended to find a hospital and doctor specialized in pediatric surgery.