Hernias as a Source of Abdominal Pain: A Matter of Concern to General Surgeons, Gynecologists, and Urologists

Only a small percentage of patients with inguinal or abdominal wall hernias present with acute abdominal pain. Typically, a physical bulge is present that may or may not be uncomfortable at the time of examination. The diagnosis of hernia is usually easy, and operative management strategies are well defined. However, it would be misleading to say that discomfort rarely accompanies hernia. As a matter of fact, symptoms attributable to hernia are probably quite common. The problem is that because of the naturally overt physical presence of a hernia, health care professionals are not well versed in eliciting a history of obscure hernia symptoms. Moreover, most physicians are not skilled in searching for the physical signs that may signify an occult hernia. For some, if a hernia cannot be seen or felt, it does not exist. Nothing, of course, could be further from the truth.