Learn About Femoral Hernia
A hernia occurs when the contents of the abdomen push through a weak point or tear in the muscle wall of the belly. This layer of muscle holds the abdominal organs in place.
A femoral hernia is a bulge in the upper part of the thigh near the groin.
Groin hernia
Most of the time, there is no clear cause of a hernia. Some hernias may be present at birth (congenital), but are not noticed until later in life.
Some factors that contribute to the development of a hernia include:
- Chronic constipation
- Chronic cough
- Heavy lifting
- Obesity
- Straining to urinate because of an enlarged prostate
Femoral hernias tend to occur more often in women than in men.
You may see a bulge in the upper thigh, just below the groin.
Most femoral hernias cause no symptoms. You may have some groin discomfort. It may be worse when you stand, lift heavy objects, or strain.
Sometimes, the first symptoms are:
- Sudden groin or thigh pain
- Abdominal pain
- Tingling feeling or numbness in the groin area
- Nausea
- Vomiting
This may mean that the intestine within the hernia is blocked. This is an emergency.
Treatment depends on the symptoms present with the hernia.
If you feel sudden pain in your groin or thigh, a piece of intestine may be stuck in the hernia. This is called an incarcerated hernia. This problem needs treatment right away in an emergency room. You may need emergency surgery.
When you have ongoing discomfort from a femoral hernia, talk to your provider about your treatment choices.
Hernias often get larger as time passes. They do not go away on their own.
Compared to other types of hernias, femoral hernias more commonly have a piece of small intestine get stuck in the weak area.
Your surgeon may recommend femoral hernia repair surgery. The surgery is done to avoid a possible medical emergency.
If you do not have surgery right away:
- Increase your fiber intake and drink fluids to avoid constipation.
- Lose weight if you are overweight.
- See your provider if you have trouble urinating (men).
- Use proper lifting techniques.
Sergio Huerta is a General Surgeon in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Huerta is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Femoral Hernia. His top areas of expertise are Hernia, Femoral Hernia, Umbilical Hernia, Gallbladder Removal, and Appendectomy.
Ferdinand Kockerling practices in Berlin, Germany. Mr. Kockerling is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Femoral Hernia. His top areas of expertise are Hernia, Umbilical Hernia, Femoral Hernia, Hernia Surgery, and Endoscopy.
Proliance Surgeons
Helen Kim, MD, is certified by the American College of Surgeons. She has a special interest in breast surgery, robotic surgery, and minimally invasive surgery. She is a trained and certified console surgeon on da Vinci® Single-Site™, the da Vinci® Surgical System, and EndoWrist®. She practices abdominal wall hernia repair and open, laparoscopic, and robot-assisted techniques for complex and recurrent hernias. She also performs gastrointestinal surgery, laparoscopic and open colectomy, cholecystectomy, appendectomy, anti-reflux surgery, and laparoscopic intra-abdominal scar release surgery.Dr. Kim treats high risk, benign, and malignant breast conditions through initial evaluation of high breast cancer risk patients, management and treatment of breast pain, nipple discharge, breast masses and image-detected lesions, as well as surgical management of breast cancer, which includes breast-conserving lumpectomy, skin-sparing and nipple-sparing mastectomy, and sentinel lymph node biopsy. She also coordinates breast reconstruction at the time of mastectomy.During her sabbatical year in 2010, she performed surgeries at Kijabe, Kenya as a short-term medical missionary for one month, travelled to France and Italy, and took oil-painting classes. In and out of the operating room, Dr. Kim places emphasis on meticulous surgical techniques and offers the most advanced minimally invasive approaches wherever applicable, while caring for the patient as a whole in the context of their other medical conditions. Dr. Kim is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Femoral Hernia. Her top areas of expertise are Hernia, Umbilical Hernia, Pilonidal Sinus Disease, Gallbladder Disease, and Hernia Surgery.
The chances of a femoral hernia coming back after surgery are low.
If the intestine or other tissue becomes stuck, a portion of the intestine may need to be removed.
Contact your provider or go to the emergency room right away if:
- You suddenly develop pain in the hernia, and the hernia cannot be pushed back into the abdomen using gentle pressure.
- You develop nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pain.
- Your hernia becomes red, purple, dark, or discolored.
Contact your provider if you have a bulge in the upper thigh next to the groin.
It is difficult to prevent hernia. Making changes in your lifestyle can help, including taking precautions to avoid straining when lifting heavy things.
Summary: The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of preserving or not preserving the round ligament during laparoscopic Trans Abdominal Pre-Peritoneal (TAPP) hernia repair on postoperative outcomes in female patients. Specifically, the study will compare outcomes such as postoperative pain, seroma, hematoma, prolapsus of uterina , recurrence rates, and quality of life between patients whose round l...
Summary: The study attempts to quantify the relative risks for acute postoperative pain, complications rate, chronic postoperative pain (CPIP) and recurrence rate after different methods of repair of groin, umbilical and incisional hernia depending on surgical technique, mesh type and fixation suture material. For this purpose the investigators will analyze data from the Kalinigrad Hernia Registry (KHR).
Published Date: September 30, 2024
Published By: Jonas DeMuro, MD, Diplomate of the American Board of Surgery with added Qualifications in Surgical Critical Care, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Jeyarajah DR, Dunbar KB. Abdominal hernias and gastric volvulus. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 27.
Poulose BK, Carbonell AM, Rosen MJ. Hernias. In: Townsend CM Jr, Beauchamp RD, Evers BM, Mattox KL, eds. Sabiston Textbook of Surgery. 21st ed. St Louis, MO: Elsevier; 2022:chap 45.