10 things you didn't know about inguinal hernia and its surgery

• Inguinal hernia is the most common type of abdominal hernia, being much more common in men than in women.
• It is advisable to repair inguinal hernia in a scheduled surgery, as there are more risks in emergency surgery.
• The most common surgical technique is surgical mesh hernioplasty, which is used for all types of abdominal hernia.

The incidence of inguinal hernia is higher in men than in women, although it is not exclusive to men. 

The best option for its treatment is hernioplasty with surgical mesh, surgery that is usually scheduled to avoid complications such as strangulation of the hernia, which can lead to necrosis of the internal tissue and require emergency surgery with the consequent risks.

1. Anaesthesia for inguinal hernia surgery can be general or regional, depending on the patient's characteristics and the doctor's opinion.
2. The hospital stay after surgery is 1 or 2 days, depending on the surgical technique used for the repair.
3. Inguinal hernia repair can be performed by open surgery, the conventional technique, or by laparoscopy, which is a minimally invasive surgery.
4. Full recovery after surgery depends on each case, but usually takes between 3 and 4 weeks, although the patient can return to normal activities much sooner.
5. The duration of the intervention depends on the technique. Open surgery takes between 30 and 40 minutes, while laparoscopic surgery can take up to 120 minutes.
6. The price of the laparoscopic inguinal hernia surgery at Operarme with everything included is €3,790. The same price for the whole of Spain.
7. On the other hand, the price of the inguinal hernia operation by surgical treatment is €2,790. This is an all-inclusive price.
8. The number of occasions in which the inguinal hernia occurs again is very low, especially if it is performed in a scheduled surgery and not in an emergency.
9. The surgical mesh used to repair inguinal hernia is made of biomaterials that adapt to the patient's body.
10. In ancient Rome, inguinal hernia surgery included removal of the testicle. Fortunately, that was a long time ago.

Inguinal hernia surgery is one of the most frequently performed interventions in the speciality of General and Digestive System Surgery in Spain, so the vast majority of surgeons have experience in repairing this problem.

In any case, the key to this surgery is to perform a scheduled intervention and for the doctor to have extensive experience in the surgical technique used, whether laparoscopic or open.