Femoral Hernia
Femoral hernia refers to tissue pushing out through a weak spot in the inner thigh or groin muscle wall. Common causes of this condition include overstraining while exercising, coughing, or passing a stool, and being overweight.
Southern California Hip Institute (SCHI), led by board certified orthopedic surgeon Dr. Tigran Garabekyan provides orthopedic surgery to patients in Los Angeles, Century City, CA, and surrounding locations.
Femoral Hernia Causes
The exact cause of hernias is not known. You could be born with a weakened femoral canal, or the area may have become weak over a period of time. Straining can cause the muscle walls to become weak too. Factors, which may result in overstraining include:
- Chronic constipation
- Childbirth
- Overweight
- Heavy lifting
- Chronic coughing
- Urination difficulties because of enlarged prostate
Risk factors
These are a few risk factors:
- Gender: Both men and women can develop femoral hernia. However, the condition is 10 times more common in females.
- Age: Femoral hernia is common is adults as compared to children. Children may develop the condition because of connective tissue disorder or some other medical condition.
- Family history: People with hernia in their close family history are 8 times more likely to develop the condition.
Diagnosis
Femoral hernia is diagnosed through physical examination. The doctor will gently touch or palpate the area while performing a physical examination. There will be bulging if the hernia is large. The diagnosis will be confirmed through an ultrasound of the groin and abdominal area. Ultrasound is recommended even if there is a suspicion of femoral hernia. Imaging technology is helpful in showing the muscle wall defect and the protruding tissue.
Surgical Treatment
Femoral hernia can be asymptomatic and small. These don’t require any specific treatment. Your doctor may monitor your conditioning for determining is any symptoms progress. Large or moderate femoral hernia require surgical repair. This is especially true if there is any level of discomfort.
General anesthesia is used for repairing surgical hernia. You will put to sleep for the procedure and won’t feel any pain. Open or laparoscopic surgery is used for carrying out femoral hernia repair. Larger incisions and longer recovery period are involved in open procedure. 3 – 4 key-sized incisions are involved in a laparoscopic surgery. This provides for minimizing blood loss.
These are a few factors that determine the type of surgery required:
- Surgeon’s expertise
- Size of hernia and other complications
- Anticipated recovery time
Laparoscopic surgery involves minimal scarring and pain as compared to open surgery. The surgery also requires a shorter healing time. Your surgeon will make incisions in the groin region for accessing the hernia in both cases. The protruding tissue or intestines will be returned back to its original position.
The surgeon will suture back the hole and reinforce it using a mesh piece. This is to ensure the tissues don’t push through the weak spot again. There are certain tension-free repairs that don’t require general anesthesia and are minimally invasive.
Board certified orthopedic surgeon Dr. Tigran Garabekyan receives patients from Los Angeles, Century City, CA, and nearby areas for orthopedic surgery.
Contact the Southern California Hip Institute
Dr. Tigran Garabekyan is a board certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in hip preservation. To learn more about Southern California Hip Institute or to schedule a consultation, click here to contact us or call:
Century City / Los Angeles: 310.595.1030
Serving patients in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Century City, West Hollywood, North Hollywood Encino, Sherman Oaks, Van Nuys, Burbank, Glendale and other neighboring cities in the greater Los Angeles, California area.
Also visit http://www.drgorthopedics.com/
