Femoral Hernia Repair Health Article

Definition

A femoral hernia repair, or herniorraphy is a surgical procedure performed to reposition tissue that has come out through a weak point in the abdominal wall near the groin. In general, a hernia is a protrusion of a loop or piece of tissue through a weak spot or opening in the abdominal wall. There are several different kinds of hernias; they are named according to their location. A femoral hernia is one that occurs in a person's groin near the thigh. In a child, a femoral hernia is usually the result of incomplete closing of this area during development in the womb.

Purpose

Femoral hernia repair is done to reduce the patient's risk of a future surgical emergency. A hernia may be congenital (present at birth) or may develop later in life because of a weakness in the abdominal wall. If the opening is very small, the amount of tissue that can push through it is small, and the person may barely be aware of the problem. One complication that may arise, however, is that the tissue that comes out through the opening can become incarcerated, or trapped. If the herniated tissue has its blood supply diminished because of pressure from other nearby organs or structures, it is referred to as strangulated. Strangulation may lead to gangrene, which means that the affected tissue can die and be invaded by bacteria. Femoral hernias are more likely than other hernias to become incarcerated or strangulated because the affected tissue pushes through a relatively small and closely confined space. Because of the increased risk of eventual strangulation and gangrene, the patient's doctor may recommend surgical repair of the hernia.