How to treat inguinal hernia effectively

Inguinal hernia is a type of hernia that occurs more frequently in children and male patients. Direct hernias are more common in older men. So what is the most effective way to treat inguinal hernia?

Conventional treatment

A one-year-old baby can be compressed with a hernia belt for 6 months, and the condition may be cured as the muscles gradually become stronger. The elderly and weak who have difficulty tolerating surgery can wear a hernia belt, but other patients should, in principle, undergo surgical treatment. Emergency surgery must be performed on incarcerated hernias and strangulated hernias to avoid more serious consequences.

Nonsurgical treatment

Inguinal hernia if not treated promptly. The hernia mass may gradually increase in size, aggravating the damage to the abdominal wall and affecting labor force; indirect hernia may often become incarcerated or strangulated, threatening the patient's life. Therefore, except for a few special cases, inguinal hernia should generally be treated surgically as soon as possible.

Infants and children under 1 year old do not need surgery for the time being. Because the abdominal muscles of infants and young children can gradually become stronger as their bodies grow, the hernia may disappear on its own. A cotton bandage or cuff may be used to compress the deep inguinal ring to prevent the hernia from protruding and to give the developing abdominal muscles a chance to strengthen the abdominal wall. For those who are elderly, frail, or have other serious diseases and are contraindicated for surgery, after returning the hernia contents during the day, they can place the soft pressure pad at one end of the medical hernia belt against the hernia ring to fill it and prevent the hernia from protruding. Long-term use of a hernia belt can cause the neck of the hernia sac to become thickened and tough due to frequent friction, thereby increasing the incidence of hernia incarceration and possibly causing adhesion between the hernia sac and hernia contents.

Surgery

The most effective treatment for inguinal hernia is surgical repair. However, if there are conditions such as chronic cough, difficulty urinating, constipation, ascites, pregnancy, increased intra-abdominal pressure, or diabetes, they should be treated before surgery, otherwise they are likely to recur after surgery. Surgical methods can be summarized as traditional herniorrhaphy, tension-free herniorrhaphy and laparoscopic herniorrhaphy.