People have more conditions nowadays, and whether it’s due to their diets, genetics, or the environment is still up for debate. But there are some conditions, such as inguinal hernia, that may be caused by several factors, and one of the most common causes of inguinal hernia is when a person’s abdominal wall shows signs of weakness. It ruptures or tears without warning – usually when someone lifts a heavy object or strains too much. Whilst some would suggest taking care of a hernia by having surgery, others would recommend waiting a while to see if symptoms worsen. So which one should you choose? It could go either way, so here are some quick facts on inguinal hernia: should you wait to have surgery, or should you have it done?
The decision
Maybe you have an inguinal hernia, but you don’t have any symptoms (yet). So you want to ‘wait and see’ before opting for surgery because your hernia isn’t too much of a bother. Whilst this is true, remember that with inguinal hernias, the symptoms usually get worse over time, and you are always at risk of strangulation or incarceration, as a hernia surgeon in London confirms.
But here are some pointers to keep in mind:
- A hernia will not ‘disappear’ or ‘go away’ if you ignore it – in fact, it tends to get bigger, and you would have to be more careful about lifting heavy objects, straining whilst in the toilet, and more.
- As you may know, many individuals often have no problem delaying surgery for their inguinal hernias for months, even years – because the inguinal hernia doesn’t exhibit any symptoms. Some do not even need surgery at all! So here’s a tip: if your inguinal hernia is still small or the symptoms aren’t too much of a hassle, you and your surgeon can wait a while and see if anything else develops.
- But you need to know that over time; your inguinal hernia will get larger as your belly or abdomen’s muscle wall becomes weaker and you have more of the tissue bulging through, as explained by inguinal hernia surgeons from co.uk.
- Many surgeons and specialists often recommend the surgical repair of a hernia because it could very well prevent strangulation. Strangulation happens when a piece of tissue or an intestinal loop becomes wrapped within the hernia, and the hernia is then cut off from having a supply of blood.
- If you are considering wearing a truss or corset to hold your hernia in, you must consult your doctor first. They are not generally recommended by specialists for hernia treatment and can make the hernia worse than it is.
- If you opt to have surgery, the good news is that it’s a fairly common procedure. You could be operated on with open or laparoscopic surgery, which has more advantages as the incisions are minor. It is best to confer with your surgeon regarding the best type of surgery for you, and once you have the surgery, the recovery time can be from two to four weeks.
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