Whether due to age, strenuous exercise, or just bad luck, hernias are a common health concern for men. They can cause enough pain and weakness to take you away from the things you want to do, and untreated hernias can cause serious complications.
Our general surgery team at Regional One Health can help, often through a minimally invasive procedure that doesn’t require a hospital stay or lengthy recovery.
Hernias occur when an organ or tissue pushes through a weak spot in your muscle or connective tissue. The most common type in men is an inguinal hernia, where part of the intestine pushes through the abdominal wall into the groin area.
Hernias are significantly more common in men than in women, and factors like aging, family history, and obesity increase your risk. Doing a lot of heavy lifting can also strain the abdominal muscles, as can conditions that lead to a chronic cough.
You may not notice a hernia in its early stages.
Watch for a visible bulge in the stomach or groin, especially when standing or coughing. You may feel heaviness or pressure, pain during activity, or a burning sensation.
Some patients experience nausea, vomiting, and constipation, which can signal a strangulated hernia, a serious condition that requires immediate medical attention.
If you think you have a hernia, consult with a general surgeon.
In some cases, we can help you avoid or delay surgery by losing weight, treating a chronic cough, avoiding heavy lifting, and wearing support garments. In these cases, we monitor you to ensure your hernia isn’t worsening.
If you need surgery, modern techniques have made the procedures extremely safe, efficient, and effective.
At Regional One Health, patients have access to Memphis’s most advanced robotic surgery resources. We’re the only hospital with the da Vinci Intuitive DV-5 robot, a state-of-the-art system that is the gold standard for these types of procedures.
This system allows surgeons to perform many hernia repairs — even for complex or recurring hernias — through extremely small incisions. Smaller incisions mean less pain, lower risk of bleeding and infection, less scarring, and a faster, easier recovery.
The same is true with minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery, another common approach for hernia repair that we offer at our Outpatient Surgery Center.
With robotic or minimally invasive surgery, most patients go home the same day. Typically, pain is minor enough that it can be well managed with over-the-counter painkillers.
If you follow your surgeon’s recommendations on lifting restrictions, activity, and wound care, you should get back to normal quickly. In most cases, you can expect to return to light activity within a few days and normal activity in two to four weeks.
My advice to men is simple: Try to manage your risk of a hernia through a healthy lifestyle, and don’t ignore symptoms. By seeking prompt medical care from an expert surgeon, you can get back to the things you need and want to do quickly!
Regional One Health’s general surgery team includes Dr. Richard Johnson, Dr. Nabajit Choudhury, and Dr. Nia Zalamea. They see patients at our East Campus, 6555 Quince Road, and Main Campus, 8 80 Madison Avenue.
By Dr. Richard Johnson
