What does a femoral hernia look like?

A femoral hernia will appear as a bulge near the groin or thigh. The femoral canal houses the femoral artery, smaller veins, and nerves. It’s located just below the inguinal ligament in the groin. A femoral hernia can also be called a femorocele.

What does a femoral hernia lump feel like?

Femoral hernias sometimes appear as a painful lump in the inner upper part of the thigh or groin. The lump can often be pushed back in or disappears when you lie down. Coughing or straining may make the lump appear.

Where is a femoral hernia located?

A femoral hernia is a protrusion of a loop of the intestine through a weakened abdominal wall, located in the lower abdomen near the thigh. Inguinal hernia is the result of an organ, usually bowel, protruding through a weak point or tear in the thin muscular abdominal wall.

What can be mistaken for femoral hernia?

Femoral hernia is much more common in women than men. They can often be mistaken for enlarged lymph nodes or sometimes varicosities in varicose veins.

How can you tell the difference between an inguinal and femoral hernia?

An inguinal hernia happens in the abdomen between the groin and the pubis. The bulge may increase in size when you put pressure on the abdomen while coughing or sneezing. A femoral hernia happens when a portion of your muscle tries to get back through the femoral canal consisting of veins, nerves, and arteries.

How do I know if I have a femoral hernia?

Symptoms of a femoral hernia include a lump in the groin or inner thigh and groin discomfort. It may also cause stomach pain and vomiting, in severe cases.

How urgent is femoral hernia surgery?

Because of the high incidence of complications, femoral hernias often need emergency surgery.

Can a femoral hernia cause bowel problems?

Femoral hernias account for 2% to 4% of groin hernias, are more common in women, and are more appropriate to present with strangulation and require emergency surgery. This condition may lead to symptoms of bowel obstruction or strangulation and possible bowel resection-anastomosis.

What does a hernia look like in the groin?

Appearance. The hernia will look like a bulge or bump in the scrotum or groin region. Standing or bearing down with force will often make the bulge more noticeable. The bulge typically takes time to appear, but it can form suddenly after coughing, lifting heavy weights, straining, bending, or laughing.

What does a hernia feel like when you touch it?

The area may be sensitive to the touch, even if you don’t have a noticeable hernia bulge. Pain can feel like a burning or aching sensation, which may get worse with strain. Activities like bending down, lifting heavy objects, coughing, or straining during a bowel movement can trigger sharp pain from a hernia.

How painful is femoral hernia surgery?

Femoral hernia repair is usually carried out under general anaesthetic, which means you’ll be asleep during the procedure and will not feel any pain.

How long does a femoral hernia operation take?

The operation usually takes about 45 minutes. Your surgeon will make a cut either directly over the lump or a little higher up and will remove the ‘hernial sac’.