A hernia can be present at birth, or it may develop later in life. Most hernias develop later in life.

What are the types of hernia?

Inguinal Hernia (Groin Hernia)

Inguinal (Groin hernia): Most common type of hernia. About three quarters of abdominal hernias are inguinal type. Approximately 70000 inguinal hernia operations are carried out every year in Britain. Inguinal hernias are usually one sided and in nearly 20% patients it can occur in both groins.

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Femoral Hernia

Femoral hernia occurs when fatty tissue or bowel protrudes through a weakness below the groin crease. This type of hernia is more common in women.

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Incisional Hernia

Incisional hernia: occur when bowel pokes through a surgical wound in your abdomen that has not adequately healed. This may be due to the broken sutures before completion of the wound healing or wound repair may not be strong enough. Several conditions may predispose to the development of incisional hernia;  emergency surgery, post-surgery wound infection, medication (steroid tablets, cancer drugs etc), radiotherapy, malnourishment and sepsis.

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Umbilical Hernia

Umbilical hernia: occur when fatty tissue or a part of your bowel pokes through your abdomen near your belly button.

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Hiatus Hernia

Hiatus hernia occurs when part of the stomach or whole stomach protrudes in to the chest through a weakness in the diaphragm. Hiatus hernia is two types, sliding or paraoesophageal.  With normal breathing diaphragm puts pressure on the stomach, this can push stomach contents in to the gullet in people with hiatus hernia. If you have a hiatus hernia, your surgeon may repair it during fundoplication.

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Epigastric Hernia

An epigastric hernia is a small type of hernia and as a result of this, only the abdominal wall lining – known as the ‘peritoneum’, protrudes through this wall. But in some cases, it can be large enough to the extent that a part of an internal organ, e.g. the intestine, will push through the abdominal wall. Surgical repair may be required when hernia starts to cause symptoms.

Surgical repair is usually carried out as a day procedure under general anaesthesia. Your surgeon will decide whether to repair the hernia with few simple sutures or a mesh.

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Spigelian Hernia

Spigelian hernia is a very rare type of hernia which occurs in both men and women alike. It often develops later on in life when the abdominal muscles are not as strong as they were in one’s youth. A spigelian hernia protrudes through a weakness between the muscle fibres of the abdominal wall. This protrusion may contain a section of the intestines but in other cases it takes the form of an empty sac. This often forms on the right hand side of the abdomen.

A spigelian hernia develops between the muscles of the abdominal wall rather than pushing through layers of fat which may cause it to be mistaken for another type of abdominal complaint.

Symptoms of spigelian hernia:

• Poor bowel function or constipation

• Dull ache

• Recurring pain especially on bending or stretching

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