FAQs and Patient Resources

Whether your hernia should be fixed depends on what type of hernia, what symptoms you have, and what are the risks of future complications. See our section titled – “Should I get my hernia fixed“

Surgeons don’t typically make recommendations for surgery just based on an ultrasound for a few reasons:

1. Small hernias seen on an ultrasound are often not hernias at all, and just a small amount of fat sitting in the inguinal canal.
2. Small hernias seen on an ultrasound that cause little to no symptoms don’t always need surgery and can often be watched for many years.
3. Small hernias seen on ultrasound but cannot be felt by your surgeon are often not the cause of groin discomfort.

Most surgeons will make recommendations based on whether they (A) feel a hernia and (B) they can attribute your symptoms to your hernia.

There are situations where you might not need mesh – like very small umbilical hernias or most hiatal hernias – or where mesh might not recommended – such as infected wounds or concurrent intestinal surgery. In the majority of groin and incisional hernias, mesh is recommended as it significantly reduces the risk of recurrence. For a small subset of patients with groin hernias, a non-mesh approach can be considered after discussing with your surgeon. Check out our “Mesh and Non-Mesh Approaches” section.

Your surgeon will explain the indication, risks, and benefits of mesh and make a tailored recommendation to you.

Like other medical devices in surgery like prosthetic joints and heart valves, mesh in hernia surgery is very safe and complications are rare.

The controversies that you may have heard about for mesh are related to surgeries elsewhere in the body (urogynecology). 

For more information about mesh in hernia surgery, go to our section “Mesh and Non-Mesh Approaches in Hernia Surgery”.

If you have an umbilical or groin hernia, pain is fairly minimal and ice packs and Tylenol are generally sufficient.

If you have major open hernia surgery, you can expect mild to moderate incisional pain that will require Tylenol and opioids for a short period.

Check out our “Post-Operative Care” section for more information.

Recovery time depends on your surgery. For umbilical and groin hernias, typically you can resume your normal activities as soon as you can tolerate and most people are back to work in a few days.

If you have had a major open hernia surgery, recovery is around 4-6 weeks.

For more detailed info, go to our “Post Operative Care” section.

Exercise, improving your cardiovascular healthy, and weight loss are all important before hernia surgery and are strongly encouraged. Try aerobic exercises including walking, running, swimming, or cycling. Other exercises can be performed so long as it does not cause significant discomfort and it has not be restricted by your surgeon.

For exercise after surgery, check out our “Post Operative Care” section.