Patient information from BMJ

Hernia: questions to ask your doctor

Last published:Sep 20, 2021

If you've been told you have a hernia in your groin, you may want to talk to your doctor to find out more. Here are some questions that you might want to ask.

Questions about your diagnosis

• What type of hernia do I have?

• Why do I have a hernia?

• Is it OK to push my hernia back into my abdomen?

Questions about your treatment

• Do I need surgery straight away, or can I wait?

• What will happen if I don't have my hernia repaired?

• How will you repair my hernia?

• How many hernia repairs do you do each year?

• What are the pros and cons of the different ways to repair a hernia?

• Am I suitable for keyhole surgery? (This surgery is done through small cuts rather than one large cut.)

• What type of anaesthetic will I need for surgery? Will I be awake for the operation?

• What are the risks of surgery? How likely are they to happen?

• What happens if I've got a hernia on both sides of my groin?

• How long will I need to stay in hospital?

Questions about what happens after surgery

• Can I expect any problems or side effects after my operation?

• How should I care for my wound? Can I get it wet?

• How quickly can I get back to my usual activities (work, sport, sex, housework, shopping)?

• Should I avoid doing certain things? How long should I avoid these?

• Do I need a follow-up appointment? When?

• What are the chances that my hernia will come back?

• Are there things I can do to stop my hernia coming back?