What Is A Hernia

What is a hernia?
The most typical sign of a hernia is a bulge under your skin in the groin or abdomen. You may also feel pain
when you lift, cough or strain. This common condition affects men, women and children of all ages.
The good news is, hernias are highly treatable with surgery and innovative hernia repair products from Gore.
GORE Medical Products are designed to work in harmony with your body's own tissues, helping to reduce
complications following surgery. Additionally, many Gore products are ideal for use in laparoscopic procedures,
which offer the benefits of less pain, reduced hernia recurrence, and quicker recovery time. Best of all, after
successful treatment, you're free to get back to your regular activities and lifestyle.
A hernia is the protrusion of an organ or part of an organ through the wall of the cavity that normally contains it.
A hernia occurs when there is a weakness or tear in your abdominal wall as a result of aging, injury, a previous
surgical incision, or a condition present at birth.
Hernias generally grow larger due to pressure on them, such as a loop of your intestine or fatty tissue pushing
into the weak abdominal tissue or tear. The result is a sac that forms in the abdominal wall. You may or may
not see a bulge at this point.
As more abdominal contents push into the sac, a bulge will appear. Sometimes the bulge can be flattened out
by lying down or pushing against it. Though a hernia at this stage - known as a reducible hernia - is not an
emergency situation, you will likely still need surgery to repair it.
If the intestine gets trapped, or is non-reducible, it is called an incarcerated hernia, and can be quite painful.
The bulge cannot ordinarily be flattened out and immediate surgery may be needed. A hernia that becomes
tightly trapped, or strangulated, loses blood supply, blocks intestinal flow, and requires emergency surgery.
Unfortunately, a hernia won't go away on its own. In fact, hernias typically get worse over time, making hernia
repair surgery the standard of care.
Do you have a hernia? Learn about hernia signs and symptoms.
How a Hernia Develops

Wall Weakens or

Intestine Pushes into the Sac

Intestine May Become
Trapped

Intestine May Be Strangulated
Tears
The abdominal lining bulges out
through a weak area and begins
to form a hernia sac. The sac
may contain fat, intestine, or
other tissues. At this point the
hernia may or may not cause a
visible bulge.
As the intestine pushes further
into the sac, it forms a visible
bulge. The bulge may flatten
when you lie down or push
against it. This is called a
reducible hernia and does not
cause any immediate danger.
The sac containing the intestine
may become trapped
(incarcerated). If this happens,
you won't be able to flatten the
bulge. You may also have pain.
Prompt treatment may be
needed.
If the intestine is tightly trapped,
it becomes strangulated. The
strangulated area loses blood
supply and may die. This can
cause severe pain and block the
intestine. Emergency surgery is
needed to relieve the blockage.

Who can get a hernia?
In the United States about 800,000 people per year undergo surgery to repair inguinal hernias (also called
groin hernias) and another 500,000 undergo surgery to repair ventral hernias (abdominal hernias not in the
groin area).
While it's difficult to predict when and where a hernia will occur, the lifetime risk of inguinal hernia for men is
27%. Direct inguinal hernias typically occur in men over 40. Men may also experience any type of ventral
abdominal hernia, including incisional, epigastric, and umbilical.
Hernias occur less frequently in women, with the lifetime risk of inguinal hernia in women being 3%. Women
are at greater risk than men for femoral hernias, or may require surgical repair for ventral abdominal hernias.
One type of ventral hernia, the umbilical hernia, can occur in infants and children. This can be the result of an
abdominal wall defect that is present at birth. Children can also get an indirect inguinal hernia, causing a bulge
that can be seen and felt.

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