If your hernia is not bothering you, you can probably avoid surgery. Your hernia might become worse, but it could also get better. Hernias grow in size over time when the muscular wall of the abdomen weakens and more tissue bulges through. Small, painless hernias may never require treatment in certain circumstances. Large or painful hernias may need surgery to repair them. The type of surgery needed for hernias depends on how far down into the muscle they go. If a hernia is only through the muscle layer, a laparoscopic procedure is used. This involves small incisions and tiny cameras that allow doctors to see what's going on inside your body without making any larger cuts. With a open procedure, a large area of skin is opened up to look at the inside lining of the abdominal cavity. Here, surgeons make an incision across the abdomen or groin and take it all the way out, looking at various organs along the way. After checking things out, the incision is closed back up again. Hernia surgery is usually done because of its benefits: improved quality of life due to less pain and disability, increased sexual function for men, and reduced risk of developing cancer. The goal is to reduce the amount of stress on the muscles and weaken the area so it doesn't bulge out further. It's normal after hernia surgery to feel sore and weak.