Can you live with a hernia without having surgery?

In surgery nothing is always or all the time or never. In general, if the hernia produces symptoms or extends into the scrotum, it should be repaired provided the patient is in good condition and has no chronic cough or significant prostatic problem.

There are some almost "alls" in this regard. All groin hernias of infancy and childhood should be repaired, and all acute hernial complications should be corrected by surgery. Surgeons generally do not advise hernia repair in the senile, the uncooperative, those with a short life expectancy or those in whom the repair is very likely to be technically impossible or ineffectual.
If all people with hernias were operated on, there would be room for little else in the hospital. Certain individuals are willing to bear the inconvenience and potential complications of this correctable problem because they are uninformed, detached, or have the attitude that "I'll wait until it really bothers me." A few individuals with groin hernias never have problems aside from the inconvenience of the bulge, and they tolerate this. It is not always an unreasonable gamble, and if one is able to have the complication taken care of promptly, it is possible to beat the statistics. Such a risk, however, is not justified in those under fifty who are otherwise in good general condition. The attitude should be to have it corrected when it is only an inconvenience and before it becomes a burden.

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