What is an inguinal hernia? Inguinal hernia, also known as “hernia”. Inguinal hernias are characterized by the presence of a reducible mass in the inguinal area, which is commonly referred to as the upper part of the penis, diagonally above the base of the penis. This condition is usually seen in children up to one year of age, and in some cases from birth. At the beginning of the lump is small, only in small children standing, running, coughing or crying, quiet sleep at night when lying down or gently pressed with the hand when the lump can be self-recovery, the symptoms disappear. The symptoms disappear. It is common in boys. Is there any discomfort for children? Generally there is no special discomfort, and only occasionally accompanied by localized swelling and drawing pain. With the development of the disease, the mass may gradually increase in size, descending from the groin to the scrotum or labia majora. How could such a disease occur? It is important to know that when your little one is still inside your tummy, the male testicle is not in the present scrotum, but is located in the area of the posterior abdominal wall, and it is only from the 5th to the 28th week, under the stimulation of testicular priming and hormonal stimulation in the body, that the testicle, together with the peritoneum, gradually migrates and descends into the scrotum. This descending part of the peritoneum resembles a trumpet-shaped tubular protuberance with the mouth facing upward, which is called the peritoneal “sheath protuberance”. This bulge occludes on its own during the late fetal period or within a month after birth. If the peritoneal sheath fails to close in a timely manner due to genetic reasons or prematurity, organs in the abdominal cavity, such as the intestines, can gradually herniate outward along the open sheath, resulting in an inguinal hernia. From the perspective of congenital causes alone, there are no strong measures to prevent the development of inguinal hernia. The incidence of inguinal hernias is about 1:50 in boys and 1:500 in girls! Could it be contagious? In this way, this disease occurs in small children, it is a congenital development is not in place due to a congenital disease, will not have any infectious. Adults also have hernias, but they are caused by weak muscles in the abdominal wall, which is different, but also not contagious. Is it dangerous? Strictly speaking, there is a certain danger; in normal times, the lump appears and may disappear when sleeping quietly or pushed gently by the hand; however, there is a case of “incarcerated hernia”, which means that it may occur when the child suddenly coughs, cries, or is uncomfortable, and then the protruding lump suddenly grows in size and is accompanied by obvious pain. The lump cannot be retracted by lying down or pushing it with the hand. The mass is tense and hard and there is marked tenderness. The child cries even more, which further aggravates the ingrown mass, and so on in a vicious circle. The incarcerated contents of the omentum, local pain is often gently micro; such as intestinal collaterals, not only the local pain is obvious, but also can be accompanied by paroxysmal abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal distension and other signs of mechanical intestinal obstruction. Once the hernia is incarcerated, the chance of self-recovery is small; most of the patients’ symptoms gradually aggravate, if not treated in time, it will eventually become strangulated hernia. That is, the incarcerated things in the inside, intestinal tube or omentum, necrosis. Then it is more troublesome. Think about it, the intestines are necrotic, can it not be serious? If you leave it alone, will it heal on its own? It’s possible. Theoretically, it is possible for a hiatal hernia to heal on its own when the “sheath protrusion” closes on its own within the first year of life. However, if the herniation is large and sometimes becomes stuck, the chances of it healing by itself are not very good indeed. After the age of one year, few hernias disappear on their own. Is there any medication for this? No. …… However, practically speaking, when the child is crying a lot, gently pressing the hand on the protruding lump to prevent it from protruding is not bad, at least, it won’t make that lump protrude too much. There’s no way around it, the mass is always stuck there? In this case, surgery is not an option. Frequent incarceration will make the wall of the hernia sac edematous and thickened, making it more difficult to operate in the future. It also increases the chance of recurrence after surgery. If the hernia becomes incarcerated and the intestinal tube becomes necrotic and the intestines have to be removed, there are even more complications that may arise. The heartache of a small child may result in a worse outcome. Is it too dangerous for children to have surgery? Currently, surgical techniques and anesthesia techniques are constantly improving, and this kind of surgery is only a small surgery. For the technical level, it is not a question of whether it is dangerous or not. If it is necessary, it must be handled surgically. It is also a relatively minor surgery. Remember, the fact that a child is “too small” is no reason not to have surgery. It has to be done. How is it done? Traditionally, the surgery is usually performed by making a small incision, about 1-2 cm long, in the groin area to locate the hernia sac and ligating it in a high position. The procedure is relatively simple and the time estimate is around half an hour. Minimally invasive surgery means laparoscopic surgery. The procedure is usually performed under general anesthesia by inserting a laparoscope (0.5cm) through the umbilical hole, and then placing a puncture needle into the side of the abdomen, which is inside the “belly” to ligate the root of the hernia. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Minimally invasive surgery means that the wound is smaller, because even the largest puncture point located in the umbilicus is 0.5cm, which is not visible. Moreover, since the surgery is performed inside the “belly”, both sides of the groin can be seen at the same time, so if a “hernia” is found on the opposite side, then the surgery can be performed at the same time, avoiding another “hernia” on the opposite side in the future. “(This is the traditional open surgery can never do, because it is impossible to open a knife for no reason, right?), but minimally invasive surgery because of the use of laparoscopic system, the cost will be increased by about 1,000 yuan accordingly. When is the best time to do the surgery? Usually around 1 year of age. A detailed and thorough physical examination is required before surgery is performed. If there are signs of a cold such as fever, cough, runny nose, etc., surgery is not advisable to ensure the safety of anesthesia and surgery. After all, this surgery is not an urgent necessity. It is better to be safe. Better yet, if the child has dry stools, it is recommended to regulate them before doing it, to avoid excessive abdominal pressure from defecation after surgery and increased chance of recurrence. What do I need to do before surgery? Before the surgery. Of course, the doctor must first look at the first la, confirm the diagnosis of inguinal hernia, some must also be performed ultrasound examination to be able to. Then we will arrange for admission to the hospital and preoperative examination. If there are no contraindications to surgery, then surgery is scheduled. The procedure was also relatively quick. My child is very noisy, can he be operated? It is true that small children are quite noisy nowadays, but the pain after the surgery is not obvious. However, during the hospitalization period, the child may have mood swings and cry due to changes in the environment, so the parents need to cooperate. What should I pay attention to after surgery? Pay attention to things, including: 1, understand the temperature changes, because after surgery a few small children will appear about 1-3 days of low fever, usually below 38 .5 degrees, give and drink water, wipe the body can solve the problem. 2, pay attention to avoid excessive crying, so, in the postoperative period of one month, to try to avoid small children this situation; at the same time, avoid strenuous exercise, running, etc.; because these may increase the chance of recurrence. 3.Wounds usually heal in about 5 days. You can take a bath, but avoid swabbing the wound to avoid cracking.