A hernia occurs because of weakness of the muscle or fascia causing abnormal displacement of fat/ intestinal contents from their normal location. It generally presents as a painless swelling in the region of umbilicus or groin which increases on exertion and reduces spontaneously on resting/ lying down.

The natural history of a hernia is that of progression which means that it increases with time. The gap in the muscle becomes larger and the contents of the hernia become more voluminous which can lead to complications like pain, irreducibility and obstruction of the hernia. Sometimes, the blood supply of the contents of the hernia may become compromised which is known as strangulation which requires urgent intervention or it may be life threatening.

Since there are no medicines which can repair the hernia, the only effective treatment is surgical repair. Surgical treatment of hernia is recommended at the earliest to prevent the progression and complications associated with the hernia. Nowadays, laparoscopic and robotic surgery is preferred over open surgery for hernia. Early treatment makes the surgery effective and reduces the chances of complications and recurrence.

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