Hernia, inguinal

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A hernia is the movement of part of an organ, out of its normal position through a weakness in the muscle or surrounding tissue wall. In most cases the word hernia refers to a loop of intestine pushing through a weak area in the wall of the abdomen.

An inguinal hernia, by far the most common type of hernia. An inguinal hernia occurs when a loop of bowel pushes through a weakness in the inguinal canal, which is a triangle-shaped opening between layers of abdominal muscle near the groin. They are most common in men and male babies, occurring when a loop of bowel slides down the narrow canal down towards the scrotum. The hernia usually appears as a swelling in the groin or enlargement of the scrotum, which may or may not be painful and often disappears when lying down.

A femoral hernia occurs most commonly in over- weight women. Part of the intestine passes down the natural canal through which the large blood vessels for the leg pass and make a swelling on the upper and inner part of the thigh.

An epigastric hernia is caused by a weakness in the upper abdomen and the intestine bulges between the breastbone and the navel. These are more common in men.

An umbilical hernia occurs when part of the intestine protrudes through a weakness in the abdominal wall at the navel. Umbilical hernias can occur at any time from birth through late adulthood.

An incisional hernia is the result of weakness following a surgical wound or scar in the wall of the abdomen.