Inguinal Hernia Repair
What is Inguinal Hernia Repair?
Inguinal hernia repair is a surgical procedure to correct a hernia in the groin area, where abdominal contents (e.g., intestine, fat) protrude through a weak spot in the inguinal canal. It’s common in children (often congenital) and adults (often due to strain or aging). In India, inguinal hernia repair is conducted in general or pediatric surgery departments at hospitals like Apollo, Fortis, Medanta, and AIIMS, often at affordable costs. Understanding the procedure, costs, recovery, risks, and FAQs is essential for patients and caregivers.
Why do you need Inguinal Hernia Repair?
Inguinal hernia repair is indicated for:
- Inguinal hernia:
- Indirect: Congenital, common in children (1–5% of term infants, higher in preemies); patent processus vaginalis allows protrusion.
- Direct: Acquired, common in adults; due to weakness in abdominal wall.
- Symptoms: Bulge in groin, pain/discomfort (esp. when lifting, coughing), or irreducible bulge (incarceration).
- Complications:
- Incarceration: Hernia trapped, causing pain/swelling.
- Strangulation: Blood supply cut off (emergency, 1–3% of cases).
- Associated conditions:
- In children: May be linked to undescended testes or hydrocele (10–20%, as noted in hypospadias repair).
- Timing:
- Children: Surgery soon after diagnosis to prevent complications.
- Adults: Elective surgery unless incarcerated/strangulated (emergency).
The procedure aims to return protruded contents to the abdomen, close the defect, and reinforce the abdominal wall, preventing recurrence and complications.
Why Do Inguinal Hernia Repair Costs Vary in India?
Costs range from ₹40,000 to ₹1.2 lakh :
- Procedure Type: Open repair (children, ₹40,000–₹70,000); open with mesh (adults, ₹50,000–₹90,000); laparoscopic (₹80,000–₹1.2 lakh).
- Hospital/Location: Higher in metro cities (Apollo, Fortis: ₹70,000–₹1.2 lakh); lower in government hospitals (AIIMS: ₹15,000–₹40,000, often subsidized under Ayushman Bharat).
- Surgeon’s Expertise: Experienced surgeons charge more.
- Additional Costs: Anesthesia (₹5,000–₹15,000), hospital stay (₹5,000–₹10,000/day), mesh (₹5,000–₹15,000), medications (₹2,000–₹5,000).
- Insurance: Covered for medical necessity; confirm with your provider.
Inguinal Hernia Repair Procedure
- Before Surgery Evaluation:
- Diagnosis:
- Physical exam: Bulge in groin, often reducible; Valsalva maneuver (coughing) confirms hernia.
- Ultrasound (if needed): Confirms diagnosis, esp. if not palpable.
- Blood tests: Blood sugar, clotting profile (for adults or under general anesthesia).
- Consent: Risks, including recurrence, are explained.
- Diagnosis:
- Surgical Techniques:
- Inguinal Hernia Repair:
- Performed under general anesthesia (children/adults) or spinal/local (adults), lasting 30–60 minutes.
- Approach:
- Open repair: Most common in India.
- Incision (3–5 cm) in groin.
- Hernia sac identified, contents reduced, sac ligated (high ligation in children).
- Adults: Mesh (e.g., polypropylene) often placed to reinforce abdominal wall (tension-free repair, e.g., Lichtenstein technique).
- Laparoscopic repair: Less common in children; used in adults (TAPP/TEP techniques); small incisions, camera-guided, mesh placed.
- Open repair: Most common in India.
- Closure: Skin sutured with absorbable stitches; dressing applied.
- Intraoperative Tools:
- Mesh (adults): Reinforces abdominal wall.
- Fine sutures: Closes hernia sac and skin.
- Laparoscope (if laparoscopic): Visualizes anatomy.
- Inguinal Hernia Repair:
- After Surgery:
- Hospital stay: Same-day discharge (children) or 1–2 days (adults).
- Care: Keep incision dry; avoid heavy lifting for 4–6 weeks.
- Pain management: Mild to moderate pain for 3–5 days; managed with acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
- Instructions: Monitor for swelling; resume normal diet.
Recovery After Inguinal Hernia Repair
- Hospital Stay: Same-day discharge (children) or 1–2 days (adults).
- Post-Surgery Care:
- Pain/Swelling: Mild to moderate pain for 3–5 days; swelling resolves in 1–2 weeks.
- Activity: Children: Normal play in 1–2 weeks; adults: Avoid heavy lifting for 4–6 weeks.
- Incision: Keep dry for 5–7 days; sutures dissolve in 2–3 weeks.
- Diet: Normal diet; avoid constipation (fiber, fluids).
- Adults: Avoid strenuous activity (e.g., sports) for 4–6 weeks; return to work in 1–2 weeks (desk job).
- Follow-Up:
- Visit at 1 week to check healing.
- Additional visit at 1 month if needed (e.g., swelling, pain).
Most resume normal activities in 1–2 weeks (children) or 2–4 weeks (adults); full recovery takes 4–6 weeks. Success rate: 95–98% achieve hernia closure; recurrence rates are 1–3% with mesh (adults), 1–2% in children.
Risks and Complications
- Surgical Risks:
- Bleeding (1–3%): Hematoma in groin; may need drainage.
- Infection (1–3%): At incision site; treated with antibiotics.
- Anesthesia risks (<1%): Reaction to anesthesia; rare in healthy patients.
- Post-Surgery:
- Recurrence (1–3%): More common without mesh or in high-risk cases (e.g., obesity).
- Chronic pain (2–5%, adults): Nerve irritation or mesh-related; managed with pain relief.
- Testicular injury (1–2%, rare): Swelling or atrophy; more common in recurrent repairs.
- Seroma (2–5%): Fluid collection in groin; usually resolves spontaneously.
- Long-Term:
- Mesh complications (1–2%, adults): Infection or rejection; may need removal.
- Scarring (1–3%): Keloid formation; more common in prone individuals.
Report fever, severe pain, swelling, or signs of infection (e.g., redness, pus) promptly.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What causes an inguinal hernia?
Children: Congenital (patent processus vaginalis); adults: Weak abdominal wall (aging, strain, lifting, obesity).
Can I avoid inguinal hernia repair?
No, surgery is recommended to prevent incarceration/strangulation; watchful waiting only for small, asymptomatic hernias in adults (with risk).
Is inguinal hernia repair painful?
Mild to moderate pain for 3–5 days, managed with medication; children recover faster.
How soon can I resume normal activities?
Children: 1–2 weeks; adults: 2–4 weeks; full recovery: 4–6 weeks; avoid heavy lifting for 4–6 weeks.
Is inguinal hernia repair covered by insurance in India?
Yes, for medical necessity; confirm with your provider; Ayushman Bharat often subsidizes.
Signs of complications?
Fever, severe pain, swelling, or signs of infection.
Will my child/adult have a normal recovery?
95–98% achieve full recovery with low recurrence; mesh in adults reduces recurrence risk.
Lifestyle changes post-surgery?
Avoid heavy lifting, prevent constipation, maintain healthy weight, and attend follow-ups.
Conclusion
Inguinal hernia repair is a safe and effective procedure to correct a common condition, preventing complications with a high success rate and quick recovery. India’s top hospitals (Apollo, Fortis, AIIMS) provide affordable care, often covered by insurance or subsidized. Understanding the procedure, costs, recovery, risks, and FAQs helps patients and caregivers approach surgery confidently. Consult a pediatric or general surgeon for personalized guidance.
Looking for Best Hospitals for Inguinal Hernia Repair
Note: we are not promoting any hospitals
we are not promoting any hospitals we sourced all the details from google and hospitals website, please verify and start with your surgery here we go the list includes government, budget and superspeciality hospitals accreditation bodies are the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) and the Joint Commission International (JCI)
- click on your city and schedule your surgery now done in good hands.
| City | Minimum Price (₹) | Maximum Price (₹) |
|---|---|---|
Agra |
40,000 |
1,30,000 |
Ahmedabad |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Ajmer |
40,000 |
1,30,000 |
Aligarh |
40,000 |
1,30,000 |
Allahabad |
40,000 |
1,30,000 |
Amritsar |
45,000 |
1,40,000 |
Aurangabad |
45,000 |
1,40,000 |
Bangalore |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Bareilly |
40,000 |
1,30,000 |
Belgaum |
45,000 |
1,40,000 |
Bhopal |
45,000 |
1,40,000 |
Bhubaneswar |
45,000 |
1,40,000 |
Bikaner |
40,000 |
1,30,000 |
Chandigarh |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Chennai |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Coimbatore |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Dehradun |
45,000 |
1,40,000 |
Delhi |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Dhanbad |
40,000 |
1,30,000 |
Durgapur |
40,000 |
1,30,000 |
Faridabad |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Ghaziabad |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Gorakhpur |
40,000 |
1,30,000 |
Guntur |
45,000 |
1,40,000 |
Gurgaon |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Guwahati |
45,000 |
1,40,000 |
Gwalior |
40,000 |
1,30,000 |
Hyderabad |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Indore |
45,000 |
1,40,000 |
Jabalpur |
40,000 |
1,30,000 |
Jaipur |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Jalandhar |
45,000 |
1,40,000 |
Jamshedpur |
45,000 |
1,40,000 |
Jodhpur |
40,000 |
1,30,000 |
Kanpur |
40,000 |
1,30,000 |
Kochi |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Kolkata |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Kollam |
45,000 |
1,40,000 |
Lucknow |
45,000 |
1,40,000 |
Ludhiana |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Madurai |
45,000 |
1,40,000 |
Mangalore |
45,000 |
1,40,000 |
Meerut |
40,000 |
1,30,000 |
Moradabad |
40,000 |
1,30,000 |
Mumbai |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Mysore |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Nagpur |
45,000 |
1,40,000 |
Nashik |
45,000 |
1,40,000 |
Navi Mumbai |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Noida |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Patna |
40,000 |
1,30,000 |
Pune |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Raipur |
45,000 |
1,40,000 |
Rajkot |
45,000 |
1,40,000 |
Ranchi |
40,000 |
1,30,000 |
Surat |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Thane |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Vadodara |
45,000 |
1,40,000 |
Varanasi |
40,000 |
1,30,000 |
Visakhapatnam |
45,000 |
1,40,000 |
Disclaimer
This information is sourced from open platforms and is for general awareness only. Costs may vary based on individual cases. Please consult a qualified doctor for medical advice and explore options within your budget before deciding on the procedure.