Inguinal hernias are usually repaired with surgery. It is the most common surgical procedure performed in infancy.
Hernia repair is typically scheduled within several weeks of when it is first noticed. Sometimes, with older children, the repair can be delayed longer. If there is an incarceration (whatever has "popped out" cannot go back in), the surgery must be performed quickly.
To fix the hernia, our pediatric surgical experts make a small incision along the folds in the inguinal area. Depending on what the surgeon finds when the child is examined, the "bulge" will be closed or repaired and the other side will be opened and examined. If a hernia is found, it will also be repaired.