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Inguinal hernia repair

An inguinal hernia repair is surgery to treat an inguinal hernia. An inguinal hernia is a swelling or lump caused by tissue or part of your bowel pushing through a weak spot in the top of your inner thigh (groin).

Why an inguinal hernia repair is done

If you have an inguinal hernia, you might have an inguinal hernia repair:

  • if the hernia is causing symptoms such as pain
  • to prevent the hernia causing a blocked bowel (bowel obstruction)
  • to prevent the hernia causing the blood supply to part of an organ or tissue trapped in it being cut off (strangulated hernia)

An inguinal hernia may not need treatment if it's not causing symptoms.

What happens during an inguinal hernia repair

The hospital will tell you when you need to stop eating and drinking before having an inguinal hernia repair. They may also advise you to have a bath or shower before you come to hospital.

There are 2 main ways an inguinal hernia repair can be done:

You'll either have a general anaesthetic (where you're asleep and feel no pain) or a local anaesthetic (where you're awake but feel no pain).

The type of surgery you're offered depends on things like where the hernia is, how big the hernia is and your general health.

The main steps of an inguinal hernia repair are:

  1. A cut or cuts are made in your skin. If you have keyhole surgery, a few small cuts are made near your belly button and lower tummy. If you have open surgery, a cut is made in the skin in the top of your inner thigh (groin).
  2. If you have keyhole surgery, air is pumped into your tummy through a cut and a thin, flexible tube with a camera inside (a laparoscope) is inserted so your surgeon can see the hernia.
  3. The hernia is pushed back into place and a thin sheet of material (called mesh) is put over the hernia and fixed in place with small stitches. Sometimes just stitches are used to stop the hernia pushing out.
  4. If you have keyhole surgery, the air is let out of your tummy.
  5. The cuts are closed with stitches or clips and covered with a dressing.

The surgery usually takes between 30 and 90 minutes.

After the operation

You can usually go home the same day as the operation.

After the operation it's normal to have:

  • some bleeding from the wound for a couple of days
  • pain around the wound for a few days
  • bruising or swelling around the wound or genitals for a couple of weeks
  • bloating or shoulder pain for a couple of days if you had keyhole surgery (this is caused by the air that was pumped into your tummy)
  • numbness below the wound – usually the feeling slowly comes back, but sometimes a small area of numbness remains

Recovering from an inguinal hernia repair

It usually takes up to 4 to 6 weeks to recover from an inguinal hernia repair, but it can take longer.

There are some things you can do to help you recover.

Do

  • take painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen to ease any pain

  • keep moving and do gentle exercise such as walking – slowly increase your activity as you recover

  • stay off work for usually at least 1 to 2 weeks (or up to 6 weeks if your job involves heavy lifting) – you can speak to your surgeon about how long you need off

  • keep the wound covered, clean and dry while it heals

  • place you hand over your wound if you cough or sneeze to help ease any pain

Don’t

  • do not do any heavy lifting or strenuous activity for at least 4 to 6 weeks

  • do not have a bath or swim until your wound has healed (this usually takes around 2 weeks) – you can usually shower from a few days after your surgery if you have a waterproof dressing

  • do not drive after surgery – check with your healthcare team and insurance provider when you are allowed to drive again

Possible complications of an inguinal hernia repair

As with any operation, complications can happen during or after an inguinal hernia repair. Your doctor will explain the risks to you before the procedure.

Complications are uncommon but include:

  • your wound becoming infected
  • a lump or swelling that develops where the hernia was that can last a few weeks or months
  • a large painful bruise in the top of your inner thigh (groin) or genitals that can last a few months
  • pain or numbness in your groin that may last longer than 3 months
  • the hernia coming back
  • damage to the area around the hernia such as the bowel, blood vessels or bladder
  • a blood clot, DVT (deep vein thrombosis) or pulmonary embolism

Urgent advice: Get help from NHS 111 if:

  • your wound has pus coming out of it or is painful, swollen, warm or red – redness may be harder to see on brown or black skin
  • you have a high temperature or feel shivery
  • you have a swollen or painful tummy that's getting worse
  • you have lots of blood coming out of your wound
  • you're still feeling or being sick 24 hours after the surgery
  • you have a throbbing or cramping pain in your leg
  • you become breathless or you are more breathless than usual
  • you've coughed up a few small spots, flecks or streaks of blood

You can call 111 or get help from 111 online.

Immediate action required: Call 999 or go to A&E if:

  • you have severe difficulty breathing – you may be choking, gasping or have difficulty speaking
  • you have pain in your chest or upper back
  • you're coughing up more than just a few spots, flecks or streaks of blood
  • you feel like your heart is racing or beating very fast, going too slowly or skipping a beat – you may have a fluttering feeling in your chest

This could be a blood clot in the lungs (pulmonary embolism), which needs to be treated immediately.

Find your nearest A&E
Information:

Do not drive to A&E. Ask someone to drive you or call 999 and ask for an ambulance.

Bring any medicines you take with you.

Page last reviewed: 28 February 2025
Next review due: 28 February 2028