1. Do all inguinal hernias require surgery? In men, asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic inguinal hernias may be an option for close observation. However, in older patients with comorbidities, elective surgery is a better option because elective surgery is less risky than emergency surgery, which means lower complication and morbidity and mortality rates. Patch hernia repair is recommended for symptomatic male inguinal hernia patients aged >30 years. One study compared two groups of adult patients over a 2-year period, with 356 choosing surgery in one group and 366 choosing close observation in the other. Twenty-three percent of the closely observed group switched to surgery, and two of them developed an incarcerated hernia. To avoid the development of an incarcerated hernia, elective surgery was chosen for asymptomatic inguinal hernias. The mortality rate for emergency surgery for strangulated hernia (>5%) was significantly higher than for elective surgery (<0.5). 2. What is the best test for inguinal hernia? The sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound for the diagnosis of inguinal hernia are not high, but it is the first choice for the examination of inguinal hernia; CT has a limited role in the diagnosis of inguinal hernia; MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) has a sensitivity and specificity of more than 94% for the diagnosis of inguinal hernia and can be the second choice after ultrasound. A definitive diagnosis of inguinal straight or hiatal hernia is not necessary. 3. What are the risk factors for inguinal hernia? Smoking, family history of hernia, collagen disease, abdominal aortic aneurysm, history of appendectomy or prostatectomy, ascites, peritoneal dialysis, prolonged heavy work, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Whether occasional heavy lifting, constipation, and the presence of prostate disease are risk factors has not been demonstrated. For alleviating the progression of inguinal hernia, quitting smoking is a good recommendation.