Hernias of the Groin and Abdominal Wall

Not all inguinal hernias cause symptoms, but for those that do, you may notice:

• a bulge in your groin area on either side of your pubic bone – this can go into your scrotum or labia and develop all of a sudden or it may develop over weeks or months

• a feeling of pressure or heaviness in your groin

• pain in your groin, especially when straining, lifting, coughing, or bending over

• a burning or pinching sensation that radiates through your pelvis or down your leg

What are the types of hernias of the groin and abdominal wall?

There are 2 main types of inguinal hernia, which include:

• reducible hernias – an inguinal hernia that comes and goes. It may push back into the abdomen at certain times, but come out again when you strain on the toilet, for example

• irreducible hernias – an inguinal hernia that becomes permanently stuck outside the abdomen

Inguinal hernias happen because of a weakness or opening in your lower abdominal wall, which allows abdominal tissue to push through. 

Lots of things can cause this, such as:

• an opening or weak spot that’s been present since birth

• congenital differences in the strength of your connective tissue (collagen)

• abdominal surgery

• chronic coughing or sneezing

• chronic straining to pee or poo

• frequent high-intensity exercise, manual labor or jobs that require standing for long periods of time

• years of pregnancy and carrying small children

• obesity

• ageing

What are the risk factors for hernias of the groin and abdominal wall?

Inguinal hernias can develop in anyone, but they’re more likely to affect people who:

• have a persistent cough

• are often constipated

• are overweight

• lift heavy objects, or do a lot of high-intensity training

• smoke

You’ll need to have a physical examination to diagnose an inguinal hernia. Your consultant will press gently over the lump and try to push it back temporarily, which is called reducing the hernia.

If needed, you may also be sent for an ultrasound or MRI scan of the groin.

There’s no way to avoid an inguinal hernia that you're born with, but you may be able to reduce your risk of developing one by:

• lifting heavy objects from your legs, not your stomach or back

• perfecting your technique, if you lift weights

• getting treatment for an enlarged prostate, which may make you strain when you pee

• getting treatment for conditions that cause chronic coughing or sneezing

• getting help for chronic constipation

• losing weight

• exercising to build core strength

If left untreated, inguinal hernias can lead to:

• hernia enlargement – over time, the pressure of an existing hernia on weakened tissues can cause the hernia to get bigger, such as an enlarged testicular hernia in men, which moves down into your scrotum, causing painful swelling

• incarceration – when a hernia can’t be physically moved back into place and becomes trapped. This is more likely to become pinched as it grows bigger, causing pain and other complications

• small bowel obstruction – if part of your small intestine is herniated and becomes trapped, pinched, and tightly squeezed. This may lead to a dangerous blockage, which can cause severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and not being able to poo at all

• a strangulated hernia – this occurs when a hernia is it’s cut off from the blood supply, which can cause inflammation, infection of the tissue, and tissue death (gangrene). It’s a medical emergency

Inguinal hernias usually need surgical treatment to stop them from getting bigger and to prevent strangulation. 

There are many different types of surgery for hernias. At Welbeck, most will be performed as laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair under a general anaesthetic, but a local anaesthetic may be used in other types of repair surgery.

Laparoscopic surgery is a minimally invasive technique, where your surgeon will make several small, half-inch incisions in your abdomen. Through one incision, they’ll insert a thin tube with a video camera attached to it, and make the repairs through the other holes.

At Welbeck, our gastroenterologists and hernia specialists are experts in their field and are dedicated to providing world-class care to every patient.

With access to colleagues across other specialties, our consultants are also able to refer within the Welbeck ecosystem if required to ensure you receive the treatment you need as quickly as possible, all under one roof.  

All appointments, testing, treatment, and follow-up appointments take place within our state-of-the-art facilities, enabling us to deliver accurate diagnostics and advanced treatments.

Your health is important to us, so we strive to offer same-day appointments whenever possible.

Our consultants are recognised by the major health insurance companies. If you have private health insurance, your treatment at Welbeck can begin once you have obtained authorisation. We also provide care to self-paying patients. Learn more about the different payment options at Welbeck.

Get in touch today to book an appointment.