Common symptoms
- A bulge in the groin, near the navel, or at an old operation scar
- The bulge grows when you cough, strain or stand, and may shrink when you lie down
- Heaviness, dragging or aching, especially after lifting
- In men, a swelling that extends into the scrotum
Go to hospital immediately if
- The bulge becomes hard and tender and cannot be pushed back
- Severe pain with vomiting, a swollen belly, or not passing stool or wind
- The skin over the bulge turns red or dark
Treatment without surgery
A hernia does not close by itself. Some small, painless groin hernias can be watched carefully for a time, but most are repaired before complications occur.
- Avoiding heavy lifting and straining until repair
- Treating constipation and chronic cough, which push on the hernia
- Knowing the warning signs of a stuck (strangulated) hernia
Treatment options
Which option suits you is decided after examination — sometimes the answer is no procedure at all.
Mesh repairHernioplasty
Through a cut over the hernia, the weak area is reinforced with a medical-grade mesh — the standard technique worldwide.
Suited toInguinal, umbilical and many incisional hernias
Repair without meshHerniorrhaphy
The muscle layers are stitched together to close the defect.
Suited toSmall hernias, or where mesh is not suitable
Recovery
Most people stay one night. Walking starts the same or next day; desk work usually resumes within one to two weeks, and heavier lifting after about four to six weeks, once reviewed.
See the day-by-day timelineInsurance
Salalkar Hospital supports insurance reimbursement — you receive the bills, discharge summary and documents your insurer asks for. Many policies have a waiting period for conditions such as piles, fissure, fistula and hernia, so check your policy wording before planning surgery.
Questions
Can a hernia go away with medicines or a belt?
No. Medicines cannot close the weak spot, and a belt (truss) only holds the bulge in for a while. Repair is the only definitive treatment.
Is the mesh safe?
Mesh repair is the standard method worldwide and lowers the chance of the hernia returning. Dr. Salalkar explains the type of mesh and the risks for your situation before surgery.
Do I need surgery immediately?
Not usually — most hernias are repaired as a planned operation. But a hernia that becomes hard, painful and cannot be pushed back is an emergency.