It starts with what is an inguinal hernia: an inguinal hernia, commonly known as a “hernia”. What is an inguinal hernia: We refer to a hernia that occurs in the inguinal region as an inguinal hernia, which includes hiatal, ventral and femoral hernias. Any organ or tissue that leaves its original site and enters another part of the body through a normal or abnormal weak point or defect or orifice is called a hernia. The most common hernia is extra-abdominal hernia, 95% of which is inguinal hernia, one of the most common diseases in surgery. In our department, for example, more than 300-400 inguinal hernia repairs are currently performed every year, which means that such operations are performed every day, including some difficult patients transferred from outside hospitals and those who have relapsed after previous surgery or incorrect treatment. Here are answers to several patient concerns: Patients may have questions about what causes inguinal hernias. Two factors that contribute to hernias are decreased abdominal wall strength and increased intra-abdominal pressure. Elderly people often suffer from chronic bronchitis, hypertrophy of the prostate gland, habitual constipation and other diseases; long-term chronic cough, difficulty in urination and straining to defecate, resulting in increased pressure in the abdominal cavity, which displaces and compresses the intra-abdominal organs to the weak area of the abdominal wall. In addition, ascites caused by heart and lung diseases and liver diseases can also slowly cause an increase in abdominal pressure. The degeneration of abdominal wall muscles and tendons in the elderly and their reduced strength, coupled with factors such as obesity or long-term illness in bed, can easily lead to atrophy of the abdominal wall muscles and hernia. What are the symptoms of inguinal hernia: The hernia is visible or palpable. A lump appears at the base of the patient’s thigh or near the abdominal femoral area, which may disappear when lying down and may occasionally be painful and uncomfortable, and may worsen when exercising; you may have a hernia and should see a doctor as soon as possible. What are the dangers of hernia: If not treated in time, the hernia can grow so large that the mass felt by the patient is actually the small intestine, which can become embedded and even necrotic, leading to emergency removal of the small intestine. Therefore, except for a few special cases, hernias should be repaired surgically as soon as possible. What to do if you have a hernia: Hernia is more common in children and the elderly, with the majority of male patients. In elderly patients, a lump that should not be present in the abdominal wall at the beginning and disappears after lying down is almost certainly a hernia. In serious cases, it will lead to infection and sepsis, which is life-threatening. Therefore, except for a few special cases, hernias should be surgically repaired as soon as possible. Because the inguinal canal is not atretic until 6 months after birth, it is possible for an infant hernia to heal spontaneously within 6 months of age. However, if the hernia does not disappear or tends to increase in size after one year of age, it is unlikely to heal on its own. Therefore, surgery should be considered for hernia in infants over 6 months of age. Can a hernia heal on its own: Adult hernia can never heal on its own. The patient will feel pain, lower abdominal cramping, indigestion and diarrhea. As the disease progresses, it can cause difficulty in moving and walking due to the mass falling into the scrotum. In severe cases, it can cause intussusception, and if left untreated, it can cause intestinal necrosis and even endanger life. How to treat: The only way to cure a “hernia” is surgery. Therefore, patients who have a hernia should go to a regular hospital for surgical treatment. There are two types of surgical treatment: traditional surgery and tension-free hernia repair. Due to the distance between the tissues of the “missing hole”, the tension caused by forcible suturing can easily lead to severe pain and recurrence after surgery, with a recurrence rate of 15-20%. Therefore, the traditional surgery has been gradually eliminated. Currently, tension-free hernia repair is used, with small incisions, little damage to the patient, small stripping surface, belonging to the category of minimally invasive surgery, no suture tension, and no destruction of normal anatomical structures. The patient suffers little pain, can quickly resume normal physical activities, and can be discharged from the hospital after surgery and resume normal physical activities after one week. The recurrence rate after surgery is <1%, which greatly improves the quality of life of patients. Minimally invasive laparoscopic hernia repair Laparoscopic hernia repair is a minimally invasive, tension-free repair. Laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair has the advantages of mild pain, small incision, early return to activity, and small postoperative surgical scars in the groin area. Patients can usually be discharged the next day after minimally invasive laparoscopic hernia repair. Normal activities are quickly resumed.