DEAR DR. GOTT: I read your column daily but have never seen you comment on an inguinal hernia. Can you address it? I am in my late 70s and suddenly have one. It is not incarcerated, and I am wondering if I need surgery. If so, can it be done with local anesthesia?
DEAR READER: An inguinal hernia occurs when a portion of the small intestine or internal fat protrudes through a weakened area in the lower abdominal muscles. This occurs on either side of the groin area between the abdomen and thigh, resulting in a bulge. Inguinal hernias are five times more common in males than in females and account for 75 percent of all hernias, of which there are several kinds. An inguinal hernia can occur at any time from infancy to adulthood.
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