Advanced Hernia Repair Program at TMH

A hiatal hernia occurs when part of your stomach pushes up through a small opening in your diaphragm, called a hiatus, and into your chest.  

The diaphragm is the muscle that separates your stomach and chest and helps you breathe. Typically, your stomach sits below the diaphragm. Still, with a hiatal hernia, part of it slips through a small opening where the esophagus – the tube that delivers food and fluids to your stomach – passes through the stomach. The stomach then pushes up through the hiatus into the chest and loses its ability to keep acid from refluxing into the esophagus and throat.

This hernia is internal, so it may not be visible as a ‘bulge’ like other common hernias. In one study, 95% of individuals with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) also had a hiatal hernia, showing a significant relationship between the two. 

If you experience chronic acid reflux, heartburn, trouble swallowing or regurgitation, you may have a hiatal hernia that can be repaired through surgery.

An inguinal hernia occurs in your groin region, between the lower part of your abdomen and thigh.  

These hernias are the most common, accounting for 75% of all hernias, and usually affect men more than women. They happen when part of your bowel protrudes into your inguinal canal, a passageway that runs down your inner thigh. 

Inguinal hernias typically present as a bulge in the groin area. They cause pain, a feeling of pressure or heaviness and sometimes swelling or pain around the testicles in men.

An umbilical hernia occurs when part of your intestine pokes through an opening in your abdominal wall near your belly button.  

These hernias are most common in babies, usually seen when they cry. During gestation, the umbilical cord passes through a small opening in the baby’s abdominal muscles. This opening usually closes after birth, but an umbilical hernia may appear at birth or later in life if the muscles don't join completely.  

While most common in infants, this type of hernia is also present in adults, typically in women. Too much abdominal pressure, such as obesity, multiple pregnancies, fluid in the abdominal cavity, previous abdominal surgery and long-term peritoneal dialysis to treat kidney failure contribute to umbilical hernias. 

If you experience severe or worsening pain, discoloration of the hernia, nausea and vomiting, constipation or blood in your stools, seek medical attention immediately.   

A ventral hernia is any hernia that occurs through the front wall of your abdomen. This umbrella term includes umbilical, incisional and epigastric hernias. 

It may only appear during certain activities or positions that contract your abdominal muscles, like laughing, coughing, bending, exercising, sneezing, etc. You may feel a dull ache or sharper pain when it pops out with movement. If your hernia is more complex, you may experience nausea, vomiting, redness or a rash at the site.  

Untreated hernias often worsen and can cause dangerous complications, including cutting off blood supply to tissues.

You may see or feel a hernia emerge in a precise location when you are in certain positions that exert yourself, like squatting or lifting. In an infant, a hernia might appear when they are crying or pooping and become irritable.

Most are caused by tissue weakness combined with strain — from lifting, coughing, obesity, pregnancy, or previous surgery.

If your hernia is painful, changes color, or causes fever, nausea, or vomiting, seek immediate medical attention.

Hernias grow bigger and worsen over time. At the same time, a small hernia may not bother you; if the opening weakens and stretches, more tissue can push through, causing issues later. This will likely lead to pain and other complications.