Inguinal hernia
A hernia of the inguinal wall is caused by a gap in the muscle fibres in the abdomen. These hernias often become more prominent when the child coughs or cries.
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A small bulge - called a hernia – made of peritoneum (a watery membrane which lines the abdominal cavity) and covered in skin appears in the groin area above the scrotum (pouch containing the testicles) in young boys and above the labia majora in young girls.
Inguinal hernias appear more frequently on the left side and require surgical treatment. You can wait until the baby is 6 months old before operating, but if the hernia protrudes often and cannot be ‘reduced’ (slight pressure with the fingers), it will require surgery.
If the hernia has moved down to the scrotum and cannot be reintegrated into the abdominal cavity (the young boy is agitated and vomits), it will need to be reduced manually very quickly and then operated. If the hernia touches the ovary in young girls (an olive stone shape which can be detected by palpating the labia majora), it must also be operated as soon as possible.
Inguinal hernia surgery
The procedure is carried out under general anaesthetic takes 20 to 30 minutes and requires a day at hospital. In most cases, stitches are “intradermal” (the thread passes under the skin and only appears at the start and end of the suture). They are removed after a week.
Post-surgery care
Painkillers (analgesics) are prescribed for 12 to 24 hours after surgery. The patient can move around on the same day as the procedure, but must avoid physical exercise for 3 weeks. Baths must also be avoided for at least 5 days following the operation as wetting the wound can delay the healing process. Clean this area using a sponge and then dry rapidly.
Possible side effects (which should be monitored carefully) include bleeding or infection of the scar.
Post-surgery results
The protrusion disappears, any related discomfort is resolved and secondary complications are avoided. The hernia only reappears in very rare cases (more in young boys than girls, and more often in premature or breastfed babies).
General surgery info...
Parents may worry about the fact that these operations are often carried out under general anaesthetic. Medical staff will explain anaesthesia-related mortality risks during the pre-surgery consultation a few days before the operation and you will be told how extremely rare these risks are (less than 1 in every 100,000).
For any surgery, the child must not have eaten during the 6 hours before the operation and you need to be available to continue his or her post-surgery treatment. You will also need to be aware of any post-surgery symptoms that would warrant an immediate return to the emergency ward.
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Posted 08.03.2011
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