Personal stories about having surgery for inguinal hernia

These stories are based on information gathered from health professionals and consumers. They may be helpful as you make important health decisions.

Boyce, age 45: I work on a loading dock and often have to lift heavy boxes for my job. One day I noticed a tender bulge in my groin that became more and more painful on the job. My doctor said I had an inguinal hernia. I decided to have surgery to repair it, because I just couldn't work anymore with the hernia.

Seaton, age 42: My inguinal hernia does not bother me much. So I could live with it. But it makes a big bulge, and I don't like the way it looks. So I decided to have surgery to have it repaired and make the bulge go away.

LaMar, age 57: Over the last few years I had gotten overweight. So I went on a crash diet to lose the extra pounds fast. Afterward I got a cold and coughed a lot. Later I noticed a small bulge in my groin area that hadn't been there before. My doctor said it was an inguinal hernia and showed me how to push it back into my belly. Although I could have surgery to repair it, I decided to wait to see if it gets worse.

Brie, age 31: I have a hernia and I am pregnant. It bothers me some, but I have decided to wait until after my baby is born to have the hernia repaired. I just think there is too great a chance of harm to my baby from the anesthesia and surgery to have the hernia repaired before delivery.