Questions to Ask Before Hernia Surgery
For anyone who has been told they have a hernia and is about to see a surgeon about repairing it. The questions are grouped the way that visit tends to run: whether to operate or keep watching, the repair itself and the anesthesia, mesh, the surgeon and the cost, the risks, and getting back to lifting and work. Pick the ones that fit your hernia; each has a note on what to listen for in the answer, and none of it is medical advice.
The questions
Each question, and why to ask it
Operate or wait
What type of hernia do I have, and where exactly is it?
Why ask it
Get the name written down: inguinal, femoral, umbilical, incisional or something else, and which side. Nearly every answer after this one depends on the type, so if you hear only 'a hernia', ask which kind before going on.
Does this hernia need repairing now, or is watchful waiting a safe option for me?
Why ask it
Sometimes the honest answer is that either is reasonable, and then it comes down to how much the hernia bothers you against how you feel about an operation. If waiting is offered, find out what you would be watching for and when the surgeon wants to see you again.
How likely is it that the hernia gets trapped or loses its blood supply if I leave it alone?
Why ask it
Surgeons rate this risk differently for different kinds of hernia, so ask for the reasoning behind theirs. Be wary of either extreme given without an explanation: 'it will never be a problem' or 'it could strangulate any day'.
Will the hernia grow if I wait, and does a bigger one make for a harder repair?
Why ask it
This is the real cost of delay, if there is one. An answer worth having compares the operation today with the operation in a few years: the approach, the time under anesthesia and the recovery.
Which symptoms would mean I stop waiting and go to an emergency room?
Why ask it
Have the list said in plain words and write it down. Surgeons commonly name a bulge that turns hard, very painful or will not push back in, with vomiting or fever alongside it, but ask which signs apply to your hernia and what number to call at night.
Is the pain I have actually coming from the hernia?
Why ask it
Groin and belly pain have other sources, and a repair only fixes the hernia. Ask what on the exam ties your pain to the bulge, and what the surgeon would look into if the pain were still there afterward.
Do I need an ultrasound or a CT scan before we decide, or is your exam enough?
Why ask it
Many hernias are diagnosed by hand alone, so 'no scan needed' is not a brush-off. If one is ordered, ask what question it is meant to settle and whether the result could change the plan.
Would a truss or support belt help while I decide, or could it do harm?
Why ask it
Expect to hear that a support may ease the ache and does not close the gap. What you want is the surgeon's view on whether it suits your hernia at all, and for how long they would be comfortable with you relying on one.
Is there anything I should sort out first, such as my weight, smoking or a chronic cough, so the repair holds?
Why ask it
Some surgeons ask for changes before they will book a date, especially for hernias in the belly wall. If yours does, get the target and the timeline in numbers, and find out what happens to the plan if the hernia gets worse while you are working on it.
The repair
Do you recommend an open, laparoscopic or robotic repair for my hernia, and why?
Why ask it
Listen for reasons that belong to you: the type and size of the hernia, one side or two, a first repair or a repeat, earlier operations in the area. If the reason is mostly that it is the method this surgeon knows best, that is worth knowing too, and the next question follows from it.
Which of those approaches do you perform yourself, and would you send me to someone else for another?
Why ask it
A recommendation can be shaped by what one surgeon offers, which is not a fault so long as you know it. A surgeon who says plainly 'for that I would refer you to a colleague' is giving you a reason to trust the rest.
Does the approach change how I feel in the first week, the long-term result, or both?
Why ask it
Have the difference put in days: to walking comfortably, to desk work, to lifting. Then put the same question about a year from now, because a gentler first week and a repair that lasts longer are separate claims, and a surgeon may be making only one of them.
Could a laparoscopic or robotic repair turn into an open one partway through, and what would cause that?
Why ask it
Scar tissue from earlier surgery and a hernia larger than expected are the reasons surgeons usually give. Converting is a judgment call and not a failure. What matters is that you have heard about it before you sign the consent form.
While you are in there, will you look at the other side, and would you repair a hernia if you found one?
Why ask it
This one belongs to groin hernias, where a keyhole repair can give the surgeon a view of both sides. Surgeons differ on fixing a second, smaller hernia found on the day, so settle beforehand what you are consenting to if one turns up.
Does it change your plan that this hernia has come back, or that I have had surgery here before?
Why ask it
Only for a repeat repair or a belly that has been operated on. Bring the old operative report if you can get it: whether mesh is already there, and where, often decides which route the surgeon takes this time.
What kind of anesthesia would I have: general, spinal, or local with sedation?
Why ask it
The choices depend on the approach and on what the facility offers, so ask which are really available to you and which the surgeon would pick. If being fully asleep worries you, or you have reacted badly before, say so here and ask when you will talk to the person giving the anesthetic.
How long does the operation take, and will I go home the same day?
Why ask it
Hernia repairs are often day surgery, but that depends on the hernia, your health and the facility. Find out who decides on an overnight stay and what would tip it, so a bag is packed either way.
Which of my regular medicines and supplements do I pause before the repair, and when do I restart each one?
Why ask it
Hand over a written list so nothing depends on memory, with anything that thins the blood and anything for diabetes at the top. The restart date is the half that gets left out, and if another doctor prescribes one of them, ask which office makes the call.
What do I do the night before and the morning of the operation?
Why ask it
Fasting times, washing and whether to leave hair at the site alone differ from one facility to the next, so get this facility's own sheet. Also find out who to call if you wake up with a cold, a cough or a rash near the site, since any of those can move the date.
Mesh
Will you use mesh for my repair, and what is your reason either way?
Why ask it
Mesh is routine in many hernia repairs and not in all of them, so a flat 'I always do' or 'I never do' needs a follow-up. If mesh is planned, the surgeon should be able to say what it adds for you; if not, what makes a stitched repair strong enough here.
What is the mesh made of, who makes it, and does it stay in for life?
Why ask it
Some meshes are permanent and some are designed to be absorbed over time, and the surgeon should say which yours is and why. Have the material and the brand written down before you leave: the product name is what lets you read about it at home.
Is a repair without mesh realistic for me, and what would I be trading away?
Why ask it
You are asking for the trade in the surgeon's own words, usually the chance of the hernia returning set against having an implant. If you lean toward no mesh, ask how often they do tissue repairs, since it is a separate skill.
How will the mesh be held in place: stitches, tacks, glue, or nothing at all?
Why ask it
Few patients think to ask, and surgeons have firm opinions on it. Some link the fixing method to soreness afterward, so listen for a reason behind the choice and not just the name of a product.
What problems with mesh have you seen in your own patients?
Why ask it
A short honest list, such as infection, lasting pain or mesh that shifted, with what was done about each, is more reassuring than 'none'. Ask how long ago the last one was and whether it changed how the surgeon works.
If the mesh caused trouble years from now, could it be taken out, and who would do that?
Why ask it
Surgeons generally describe removal as a bigger job than placement. You want to know whether this surgeon does it, sends it to a specialist center, or would rather not say, which is an answer too.
Has this mesh ever been recalled or withdrawn, and how would I hear about it if that happened later?
Why ask it
A surgeon who knows the product's history answers calmly and without offense. How patients are notified about implants varies by country and health system, so ask how it works where you are, and after the operation keep the brand and lot number yourself.
Surgeon and cost
How many repairs of this type of hernia, by this approach, do you do in a year?
Why ask it
Put both halves in the question, because a surgeon may do many open groin repairs and few robotic ones, or the reverse. No number is a pass mark. What you are weighing is whether your repair is this surgeon's everyday work or an occasional one.
How many of your repairs have come back, and how do you find out?
Why ask it
The second half is the test. A surgeon who only hears from patients who return to the same office may not know the true figure, and the candid ones say so.
Who will be operating on the day: you, a resident, or an assistant?
Why ask it
Where surgeons are trained, part of a hernia repair may be done by a trainee with the surgeon supervising, and how that works differs from one hospital to the next. Ask who does which part and whether the surgeon you met stays for all of it. A clear answer matters more than which answer it is.
Would this be done at a hospital or a surgery center, and what happens if I need to be admitted?
Why ask it
A surgery center is set up for day cases and a hospital has more on hand if something goes wrong, so the useful part is why this place suits your health in particular. Find out where you would be transferred if a stay became necessary, and whether that changes what you pay.
What will this cost me, and who else will send a bill?
Why ask it
Ask the office for a written estimate, or for the procedure codes so that your insurer or health system can price it. In some places the surgeon, the anesthetic, the facility and even the mesh are charged separately, and the question that catches the surprises is whether everyone in the room is covered the same way.
Would you be comfortable with me getting a second opinion before I book?
Why ask it
For a hernia that is not an emergency, an easy 'of course' is what you hope for, along with an offer to send your records. If the surgeon would rather you did not wait, ask for the medical reason and how many weeks would be safe.
Risks
Which complications do you see most after this repair, and how often?
Why ask it
The usual list is bleeding or bruising, infection, a pocket of fluid, trouble passing urine, lasting pain and the hernia returning, so notice which of those go unmentioned. Reassurance with no list in it is the worrying answer.
How likely is pain or numbness that lasts for months, and what would you do about it?
Why ask it
Ask what the surgeon counts as lasting, and how they handle the nerves that run through the area. The good answer includes a next step if it happens: who you would see and what they would try.
What are the odds this hernia comes back, and what would a second repair involve?
Why ask it
Pin the figure to a time span, since a rate at one year and a rate at ten are different promises, and ask whether it would change with another approach or without mesh. Surgeons often take a different route for a repeat repair, so hearing what yours would be tells you how much rides on the first.
What are the rare but serious risks, such as injury to the bowel, the bladder or a blood vessel?
Why ask it
These differ between open and laparoscopic repairs, so make sure the answer is about the approach planned for you. You are not looking for zero. You are looking for a surgeon who can say how such an injury is spotted and dealt with.
What happens if the wound or the mesh gets infected?
Why ask it
The two can be handled very differently, and the surgeon should explain how. Ask what is done to lower the chance on the day, and whether anything about you, such as diabetes or smoking, raises it.
Could a groin repair affect the testicle or fertility, and what should I watch for afterward?
Why ask it
For men with a groin hernia. The surgeon should be able to explain which structures run beside the repair, which kinds of swelling or ache are expected, and which they would want to see promptly.
How often do your patients have trouble passing urine afterward, and what is done about it?
Why ask it
It surprises people because it rarely comes up beforehand. Ask whether you must pass urine before leaving, what happens if you cannot, and whether your age, prostate or medications make it more likely.
Recovery
What will the first week feel like, and what is the plan for pain?
Why ask it
Ask what counts as normal: soreness when you stand up, bruising that spreads downward, a sore shoulder after a laparoscopic repair. Then get the pain plan by day, including which pain relievers come first and when you should no longer need the strong ones.
Do I need someone to drive me home and stay with me the first night?
Why ask it
Many facilities will not discharge you after sedation or general anesthesia without an adult to take you, so ask what the rule is there before you arrange the day. If you live alone, say so now and ask what the options are.
Where will the cuts be, how are they closed, and when can I shower?
Why ask it
An open repair often means one cut near the hernia and a keyhole repair a few small ones some way from it, which surprises people who expected the scar at the bulge. Find out whether there is glue, tape or stitches to come out, and what the surgeon wants kept dry and for how long.
How much weight can I lift in the first week, at three weeks and at six?
Why ask it
Surgeons vary widely here: some give strict limits in pounds and others say to let discomfort be the guide. Translate whatever you are told into real objects, such as a toddler, a full laundry basket or a toolbox, and ask about each.
How long should I plan to be off work, given what my job involves?
Why ask it
Say what the job asks of your middle: lifting, climbing, pushing, hours standing, or none of those. If a lifting limit would keep you off, ask whether the office will put the limit and its end date in a note, and check with your employer how lighter duty and sick leave work there.
How soon can I drive, and what should I be able to do first?
Why ask it
Many surgeons give conditions in place of a date, such as no longer taking anything that makes you drowsy and being able to stamp on the brake without hesitating. Your insurer or local rules may add their own, so check before the first trip.
When can I run, cycle, lift weights or do core exercises again?
Why ask it
Name your actual sport, because 'exercise' gets a vague answer. Ask for a sequence in place of a single date: walking, then light cardio, then loaded lifting, with what should stop you at each stage.
How do I keep from straining with constipation, coughing or sneezing while it heals?
Why ask it
Pain medication and a quiet week can both slow the bowels, so ask what to take from day one and not after the problem starts. Many patients are shown how to press a pillow over the repair when they cough, and it is worth having that demonstrated.
What swelling, bruising or lump near the repair is normal, and what is not?
Why ask it
A firm ridge or a pocket of fluid where the hernia was can look alarmingly like the hernia itself. Ask how to tell the difference, how long each usually lasts, and at what point the surgeon wants to look at it.
Once I am home, what should I call your office about the same day, and what means the emergency room?
Why ask it
Run through them one at a time and have the surgeon sort each: a fever, a wound that leaks or reddens, pain that climbs instead of easing, vomiting, a swollen calf, not being able to pass urine. Leave with the sorted list on paper and the number that is answered after hours.
Once it has healed, is there anything I should avoid for good?
Why ask it
Plenty of surgeons say no and want you fully active. If yours names a limit, ask whether it comes from the repair or from caution, and whether it would change with a different technique.
How would I know, months or years later, that the hernia had come back?
Why ask it
A bulge in the same place, especially when you stand or cough, is what most people are told to look for. Ask whether there is a routine check or whether follow-up ends after the first visit, and who to call if you are unsure.
Getting more from a hernia surgery consultation
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Before you see the surgeon
Write down how the hernia behaves
Note when the bulge appears, whether it goes back in when you lie down, what brings on pain, and whether it has changed in size. Those details are what a surgeon weighs when judging urgency, and they are hard to recall on the spot.
Bring the record of any earlier repair
If this hernia has been repaired before, or you have had other operations on your abdomen or groin, list them with dates and ask the hospital that did them for the operative report. It says whether mesh was used and where, which a new surgeon cannot tell from the scar.
Describe your work and your sport in weights
Advice on timing and time off depends on what your body has to do. 'I lift 50-pound boxes for eight hours' gets a more useful answer than 'my job is physical'.
Choose by where the decision stands
The list is longer than one visit. If whether to operate is still open, start with the first group; if that is settled, spend the time on the repair, the mesh and recovery. Whatever is left over can often go to the surgeon's nurse or into a message.
The three decisions inside one operation
Whether, and when
For some hernias surgeons are comfortable holding off, and for others they are not. Ask which yours is and why. If you choose surgery and nothing is urgent, ask how long the date can reasonably wait, so that you are picking it and not just taking the first slot.
How: separate the approach from the surgeon
Open, laparoscopic and robotic repairs each have surgeons who do them well. The more useful comparison is often how frequently this surgeon does the one being proposed for your type of hernia.
With what: ask about mesh without arguing about it
You do not have to arrive with a position. Ask what the surgeon would use, what it is, what the alternative is and what each choice costs you, then take the product name home and read about it later.
Ask where a number comes from
When a surgeon gives a rate for recurrence or lasting pain, ask whether it describes their own patients or is a general figure. Both are useful, and knowing which you were given stops you comparing unlike things between two surgeons.
Where a second opinion earns its time
A repeat hernia, a large one in the belly wall or one in an old scar is where surgeons most often differ on technique. How referrals and second opinions work depends on your health system and insurer, so ask the office what the route is.
If you decide to wait
Leave with the warning signs on paper
Watching a hernia only works if you know what you are watching for. Before you go, have the surgeon list the changes that mean a same-day call and the ones that mean an emergency room, for your kind of hernia, and write them down.
Set the next check
Agree when you will be seen again and by whom, the surgeon or your regular doctor. 'Come back if it bothers you' can be a considered plan or a way of ending the visit, so ask which it is.
Tell someone at home
Share the warning signs with whoever you live or travel with. If a long trip or a stretch somewhere remote is coming up, mention it and ask the surgeon whether it changes the timing.
Know what would change your mind
Decide in advance what would move you from waiting to booking: pain that limits work, a bulge that is growing, a sport you have started to avoid. A line in a notebook every month about how the hernia is doing helps, because slow change is hard to see from memory.
Planning the recovery before you book
Pick the date around your life
Count back from anything you cannot miss or cannot do under a lifting limit: a house move, the busy season in a physical job, a trip. Ask the surgeon how far ahead of it they would want the operation done.
Get the lifting limit in writing
If your job involves lifting, ask the office for a note that states the limit in pounds and the date it ends. Rules on sick leave, lighter duty and pay differ by employer and country, so ask your employer what they need before the date is fixed.
Set up the first week
Arrange the ride home, someone for the first night if the facility asks for it, loose clothes with a soft waistband, and help with children, pets and anything heavy. Have whatever the surgeon suggests for constipation in the house before the day.
Keep your own record
Leave the consultation with the name of the procedure, the approach, the mesh if any, the lifting limits and the after-hours number written down. After surgery, add the implant details. A future surgeon will ask for exactly this.