Type of Surgery
Information
Last updated: 02/17/2009
Diagnosis
A femoral hernia is usually diagnosed during a physical examination. In many cases, the patient will consult the doctor because of pain in the groin area or the inside of the upper thigh. The pain or discomfort of a femoral hernia may come and go, increasing when the person coughs or strains. If the pain is severe, the patient may go to an emergency room. In young children, symptoms of an incarcerated femoral hernia include severe irritability, abdominal pain, cramping, and vomiting. Adult patients may have also felt a mass in the groin that may be tender when it is pressed. Patients in severe pain may be given a sedative or pain-killing medication so that the doctor can examine the groin area and try to guide the herniated tissues back through the abdominal opening with gentle manual pressure.
In adult patients, the doctor will rule out the possibility that the pain is caused by an enlarged lymph node, a lipoma, or an inguinal hernia. Imaging studies are not generally used in diagnosing a hernia unless the doctor suspects that the hernia is incarcerated or strangulated. A strangulated hernia can be distinguished from an incarcerated hernia by the presence of fever; pain that persists after the doctor has reduced the hernia manually; and pain that is more severe than warranted by the examination findings.
Preparation
If the doctor suspects that the hernia is strangulated, he or she will give the patient a broad-spectrum antibiotic (usually cefoxitin) intravenously before the patient is taken to the operating room.
Adults scheduled for a nonemergency herniorraphy are given standard blood tests and a urinalysis. They should not eat breakfast on the morning of the procedure, and they should wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothing that they can easily pull on after the surgery without straining their abdomen.
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Other Information
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.
Other Information
An obstetrician/gynecologist, commonly abbreviated as OB/GYN, can serve as a primary physician and often serve as consultants to other physicians.
From: womenshealthchannel.com
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