A hernia can occur when an organ or fatty tissue squeezes through a weak spot in a surrounding muscle or connective tissue, called fascia.
The most common types of hernias are:
- Inner groin (inguinal hernia)
- Outer groin (femoral hernia)
- Umbilical (belly button)
- Upper stomach (hiatal hernia)
- Incisional (resulting from an incision or scar)
Though some people have no symptoms at all, others may see a bulge and swelling or feel severe pain in the abdomen or pelvis. To repair a hernia, one of our physicians may refer you to a surgeon who can operate to push the bulging back in and the abdominal wall and suture it back in place. This repair can be done with laparoscopic or open surgery. Most of the time, surgery is not necessary.