Open or keyhole surgery

Which surgery you will be offered will depend on the kind of hernia you have, your preferences, and other things about you and your health.

Open surgery

Often offered for more complex or larger hernias or if you do not want a general anaesthetic.

Your surgeon makes one cut of about 8 – 10cm in your groin. They find the hernia, push it back into place, close the hole with stitches or reinforce it with a mesh.

Can be done with local anaesthetic (you are awake but you will not feel pain). Usually it is general anaesthetic (you are asleep).

Laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery

Often offered if you have a hernia on both sides or you have had a hernia repair before.

Your surgeon makes 3 or 4 small cuts (less than 2 cm) in your abdomen (tummy).

They use long tools to push the hernia back in and cover the hole with a mesh. Stitches cannot be used in keyhole surgery.

Sometimes you have bloating or shoulder pain after keyhole surgery. This is due to the gas used to inflate your abdomen (tummy) during surgery.

Is always done with a general anaesthetic (you will be asleep).

How long will it take to recover from surgery?

Advice is to increase activity slowly over the 4 weeks after surgery. You should be fully recovered 4 – 6 weeks after either type of surgery (keyhole or open).

Everyone recovers differently. An example recovery schedule might look like this:

Days 1 – 5 normal light daily activities such as walking around the house or getting dressed.

Days 3 – 6 picking up heavy items might be possible, for example a toddler or a bag of shopping. ‘Lift from the knees’ (bend your knees to pick things up). You can shower after 3 days if you keep your wound dry and clean.

2 – 4 weeks you can drive as soon as you can safely perform an emergency stop without pain. You can take a bath or go swimming.

4 – 6 weeks you should be fully recovered and be able to lift things and drive a car.

If you exercised before surgery, gradually build back up to full exercise over 4 – 6 weeks.

About mesh and stitches

What is tissue repair or stitches?

Very few people in the UK are currently trained to repair an inguinal hernia with stitches. If this is something you want to know more about, ask your surgeon.

What is mesh?

Mesh is flat material that is used to patch or cover the hole in the muscle wall. It is fixed in place inside the body with very fine stitches, glue or staples. Mesh acts like a scaffold and your own body grows through the mesh making the weak point stronger.

There are many different kinds of mesh, of different thicknesses, strength, flexibility, size and shape.

Your surgeon will choose which one they prefer to use and is best for your situation. You can ask them about which mesh they plan to use and why.

There are different types of synthetic mesh: polypropylene, polyester, expanded polytetraflouroethylene (ePTFE), and partially absorbable with proplylene and polyglactin.

Biological mesh is mesh made from animal or human cells. It is not usually used for inguinal hernias because it is re-absorbed by the body in about 6 months which means your hernia can come back more easily.

Deciding about surgery

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