Abstract
Treatment for groin hernia is usually elective surgical repair, however, strangulated hernias require an emergency operation because of the high morbidity and possible mortality in elderly patients. We operated on 37 cases of incarcerated or strangulated groin hernia from January 2007 to June 2011. During this term, 586 cases of groin hernia were operated on in our hospital. Thirty-seven cases included 23 indirect inguinal hernias, 2 direct inguinal hernias, 11 femoral hernias and 1 of unknown cause. Thirty-one of the 37 cases required immediate operation and there were 11 cases of strangulated hernia that led to excision of organs, namely 7 of the bowel and 4 of the omentum. For those cases in whom the period from the start of subjective symptoms to the hospital visit was 6 hours or less, no excision of organs was required. In contrast, in 6 of 14 cases in which this period was over 24 hr, resection of organs was required. The doctors who are examining patients with acute abdomen should palpate the inguinal area, for hernias. Moreover, public education is necessary regarding groin hernias, including incarcerated and strangulated hernias.
