An inguinal hernia happens when there is a weakness in the muscles at the lower part of the abdomen, at your inguinal canal. Some of the contents of your abdomen push through your abdominal wall and produce a lump called an inguinal hernia.
Hernias do not go away on their own. Surgery is often recommended. An inguinal hernia repair puts a hernia lump back into its correct place and strengthens the abdominal wall to prevent the hernia from reoccurring.
Hernia repair for women is often performed using open inguinal surgery. Keyhole inguinal surgery is usually only recommended for inguinal hernias that are recurrent or bilateral. Your doctor will discuss this with you and their recommendations for treatment.
At Ramsay Health Care UK, we routinely perform open inguinal hernia repairs for women as well as men.
Our experienced surgeons will discuss with you the best treatment for your inguinal hernia. They offer convenient consultation and surgery appointments without having to wait.
The safety of our patients, staff and consultants is our priority. You can rest assured that all of our hospitals follow strict infection control and prevention protocols to minimise the risk of any infection, including COVID-19.
A hernia repair (open inguinal) female is open surgery to repair an inguinal hernia in women. The open technique is usually recommended for inguinal hernias.
A variety of anaesthetics may be used. Your surgeon makes a single cut over your inguinal hernia that is usually about six to eight centimetres long. They then move the lump of fatty tissue or loop of bowel back into your stomach. They place a mesh at the weak spot of your abdominal wall to strengthen it. They finally seal your skin with dissolvable stitches.
If your inguinal hernia has become strangulated and part of your bowel is damaged, they may need to remove the damaged part and join the ends of your healthy bowel.
Yes, a female can get an inguinal hernia but they mainly occur in men.
In women, an inguinal hernia may be more likely to occur if the woman has a condition that increases pressure within her abdomen such as obesity, chronic coughing due to smoking, chronic straining with constipation and pregnancy. Straining to lift heavy objects and physical exercise can also contribute to getting an inguinal hernia.
If you experience inguinal hernia symptoms such as a swelling or lump in your groin or pain and discomfort in the area you must tell your doctor as soon as possible. You must not ignore it and hope it will go away. An inguinal hernia will not repair itself and often it will get worse with time.
If you wait, you may have less surgical options available. You will also be at risk of your inguinal hernia becoming strangulated, where the blood supply to the trapped organ is cut off. This is rare, but it can be life-threatening and may require emergency surgery.
You should be able to go home the same day or the day after your open inguinal repair surgery. You must have an adult with you for the first 24 hours after your inguinal surgery in case you have any problems.
You should follow your discharge instructions that will have information about caring for your wound and bathing.
Your groin will feel sore and uncomfortable. Painkillers will help to relieve this discomfort. You might find that applying gentle pressure to your wound makes coughing, sneezing and moving when getting up from sitting more comfortable.
You will want to reduce your risk of constipation as straining on the toilet can be painful around your wound. Drink lots of fluids and eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and high-fibre foods such as wholemeal grains. You may take a mild over-the-counter laxative to help.
You can gradually get back to your normal activities when you don’t feel pain doing them. You can expect to do light activities, such as shopping and return to work within a week or two unless you have a manual labour job.
Gentle exercise will help you heal. Do not lift anything heavy or do strenuous activities for four to six weeks.
This is a guide package price that estimates the costs of your procedure. You will receive a formal quotation price following your consultation with one of our expert surgeons. This formal quote for your open inguinal hernia repair female will be valid for 60 days and includes unlimited aftercare.
Ramsay is recognised by all major medical insurers. Hernia repair for women is covered by most medical insurance policies. We advise you to obtain written authorisation from your insurance provider before starting your treatment.
We have a number of finance options if you are paying for your inguinal hernia repair surgery yourself. These include:
Spread the cost of your treatment with fixed, monthly payments over a time period to suit you.
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We offer an alternative range of ways to pay, so you can choose which one best suits you and your finances.
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Use your private medical insurance to fund your treatment through our simple referral process.
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Ramsay Health Care UK are celebrating after being named as a Gold National Joint Registry (NJR) Quality Data Provider after successfully completing a national data quality audit programme for 25 of their hospitals offering orthopaedic procedures.
This year Ramsay Health Care celebrates 60 years of global expertise in healthcare.
We speak to Julie Wood, Medical Secretary Team Leader as she celebrates 35 years at Ramsay Health Care UK.
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