Complications of inguinal hernia repair

Inguinal hernia and the main symptoms

Inguinal hernia is a very common condition, which occurs when a part of the intestine protrudes through a weak or torn part of the lower abdominal wall. It does not necessarily have to be dangerous, but in some cases, it can be rather painful or the inguinal hernia can grow in size. The main symptoms of this condition, which is more typical of men than of women, are a visible bulge on one side of the pubic bone; pain or uncomfortable feeling in groins, which tends to increase when the person lifts something heavy, bends, or even when the person coughs; and in cases of men, it is possible that pain or swelling in the scrotum around the testicles are experienced sometimes. It is important to mention that in some cases, none of the symptoms have to be present, and this condition does not even have to cause any problems. It all depends on the strain that the person involves while doing certain activities.

Inguinal hernia repair and the main complications of this condition

The doctor should be visited if the person feels pain, and if the condition bothers them. Ignoring the symptoms may lead to serious complications, among which are obstruction of bowel and diminished flow of the blood to the part of the intestines which is trapped. Some cases only require regular checkups, while in some, the hernia will have to be repaired surgically, which is usually the case with large hernias. There are two types of surgeries and one of them is herniorrhaphy, while another one is hernioplasty.

When it comes to the complications, they happen very rarely, but they are possible. They are a bit more likely to occur if the surgeries are performed laparoscopically, or by inexperienced surgeon, and some of the most common ones are the infection, numbness, pain, bleeding, or swelling at the incision site. It is also possible that the bladder, bowel or vas deferens be injured or damaged during the surgery, or that the hernia will appear again. There were cases which resulted in the changed size or function of testicles, but such cases were more typical in situations of recurrent hernia repairs. A possible complication of inguinal hernia repair on both sides is infertility, but cases in which this complication occurs are extremely rare.