Consequences of inguinal hernia

An inguinal hernia is considered a fairly common disease and responds well to treatment, but, like any disease, it may have some complications. The consequences of an inguinal hernia occur with improper treatment, with no treatment at all, and also for individual reasons.

The very presence of an inguinal hernia already represents a rather serious danger. Due to the violation of the integrity of the inguinal area, elements of the internal organs (part of the omentum, intestines, testicle or ovary) can end up in the hernial sac. This condition can provoke various diseases, discomfort, inconvenience and complications (for example, strangulation).

What is dangerous about an inguinal hernia:

• hernia injury;
• inflammatory process in the hernial cavity;
• malignancy of the protrusion;
• development of intestinal obstruction;
• coprostasis;
• strangulation of the hernial cavity;
• reproductive dysfunction.

The consequences can overtake the patient at any time: surgical intervention is most often an emergency. For this reason, doctors advise not to postpone hernia treatment, but to eliminate the problem in time, so as not to risk your health and life in the future.

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Consequences of inguinal hernia in men

If a hernia is not treated, serious complications may arise, which are much more difficult to deal with than the underlying disease. Therefore, the sooner treatment is started, the better. Let's get acquainted with the most common consequences of an inguinal hernia.

• Infringement.

The most common and dangerous complication of a hernia is strangulation. Basically, this condition is characterized by suddenness and unpredictability: signs of strangulation appear immediately, without a gradual increase. In case of strangulation, urgent surgical intervention is required, because with each minute the danger to the patient's further health and life increases. Elements of the organs that have entered the cavity of the hernial sac gradually die off, blood circulation in them disappears, tissues are subject to dystrophy and necrosis. In damaged organs, their natural function is disrupted.

• Inflammatory hernial process.

An inflammatory reaction in a hernia can develop for several reasons:

• an external infection gets into the hernial cavity (due to external damage to the protrusion – injuries, scratches, etc.);
• an internal infection enters the cavity (for example, with feces).

If there is an inflammatory process, the hernia becomes red, hot to the touch, and painful.

• Hernial injury.

A hernia injury can occur when trying to correct it on your own, as well as when exposed to external causes (as a result of an unsuccessful fall or a blow to the groin area, when wearing a bandage incorrectly, etc.). This condition is dangerous due to damage to internal organs and disruption of tissue integrity. The main signs of injury are pain and hematoma in the area of the hernial sac.

• Intestinal obstruction.

If a part of the intestine gets into the hernial cavity, it can provoke the development of intestinal obstruction. The patient experiences abdominal pain, flatulence, and lack of bowel movements. If the patient is not helped in a timely manner, then the decay and fermentation of feces begins, headaches and vomiting occur. This condition often develops into coprostasis.

• Coprostasis.

What is coprostasis - it is a stagnation of feces, when the intestinal lumen is blocked by feces, causing symptoms of intestinal obstruction. This complication is characterized by loss of appetite, increased gas formation, nausea and vomiting, fever, headaches and abdominal pain.

• Development of a malignant process.

Malignant transformation of a hernia is a relatively rare phenomenon, which is still sometimes observed in medical practice. The degeneration of cells is formed mainly in the organs that have entered the hernial cavity or in nearby tissues.

You should not wait for complications to appear. When the first signs of a hernia appear, it is recommended to consult a doctor and eliminate the defect in advance.

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Consequences of inguinal hernia in women

The appearance of an inguinal hernia in women can have almost the same complications as in men (strangulation, intestinal obstruction, coprostasis), but it has its own characteristics.

There are situations when the presence of parts of organs in the hernial cavity does not cause discomfort. The patient can periodically straighten the sac on her own, because the hernia does not cause pain, does not increase in size and does not swell. However, over time, problems may still arise if the treatment is delayed.

Firstly, most complications appear with the growth of a woman's body weight or during pregnancy. Moreover, during the process of bearing a child, complications with the immediate course of pregnancy may arise. An inguinal hernia is a certain danger during labor - the probability of its strangulation is very high.

The hernial sac can increase in size simultaneously with the increase in the pregnant woman's abdomen. And the risk is not only that there will be unpleasant sensations and discomfort during movements, constipation will worsen, and problems with urination will begin. The development and size of the hernia directly affects the type of labor. Whether it will be a natural birth or a cesarean section, the doctor will decide.

The fact is that during natural childbirth, during contractions there is excessive load on the abdominal wall, and the hernia can become strangulated at any moment. If this happens, immediate surgical intervention is inevitable.

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Consequences of surgery for inguinal hernia

Almost all problems associated with inguinal hernia can be solved by means of surgical intervention. However, the operation itself, despite its relative simplicity, can have some negative consequences. Why can they occur? The reasons are different – from individual characteristics of the body to surgical errors during the operation.

It happens that the patient had damage to some nerve fibers before the hernia treatment (for example, after a previous operation). With repeated intervention, this can lead to pain and muscle weakness.

However, the most common postoperative complications are considered to be the following.

• Damage to the spermatic cord during removal of the hernial sac, as a result of careless action by the surgeon. To prevent this from happening, the doctor must first separate the cord from the rest of the tissue. What is the threat of this complication? Disruption of hormone levels and spermatogenesis, which can lead to infertility and atrophic processes in the testicle.
• Damage to a section of the intestine during removal of the hernial sac, as a result of the operating surgeon's carelessness. Also, during tissue plastic surgery or high ligation of the sac, the doctor may damage the integrity of the bladder.
• Damage to the hip joint when applying rough sutures. To prevent this from happening, it is recommended to palpate all tissues closest to the suture site.
• Bleeding due to damage to a vessel during suturing. This situation is corrected by clamping the damaged vessel.
• Formation of blood clots in the deep veins of the leg often occurs in elderly patients. To avoid such complications, the doctor prescribes anticoagulants after surgery - this prevents the risk of thrombosis.
• Hydrocele – dropsy of the testicle – unilateral or bilateral. Such a complication may require a repeat operation.
• Hernia recurrence. May occur if the patient violates the rules of postoperative rehabilitation and does not follow the doctor's instructions.
• Infectious complication – the appearance of infection at the site of surgery. Requires additional antibiotic therapy.

The listed consequences may appear either due to the fault of the operating physician, or due to the fault of the patient himself, as well as due to the individual characteristics of the body.

The patient should follow all the doctor's recommendations and adhere to all the rules of rehabilitation treatment. For 2-3 days after the surgical intervention, it is recommended to observe strict bed rest, not to strain, not to do physical labor. Even simple attempts to get out of bed can provoke an increase in pressure inside the abdominal cavity, which, in turn, can lead to undesirable consequences.

In addition, it is important to follow a certain diet that excludes the consumption of foods that provoke flatulence - these are raw vegetables and fruits, legumes, sweets.

If you follow all the above rules and carefully follow the doctor’s instructions and advice, the consequences of an inguinal hernia will not affect you.

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