Preparing for Surgery: hernia repair

What is a hernia?

A hernia is a lump that forms when fatty tissue or part of your intestine (gut) pushes through a weakness in the muscle wall of your abdomen or top of your thigh. Often, it will only appear when you’re lifting something, straining or coughing. It may disappear when you lie down.

Depending on the type and size of your hernia, you may be offered:

• open surgery – involves a single cut in the skin through which the surgeon can push back the lump into the abdomen then repair the muscle weakness
• laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery – uses small instruments to repair the hernia from inside. This means you just have two or three smaller cuts and you will often recover more quickly.