MedHead Message:
Inguinal hernias are created by a weakness in the lower part of the pelvis/groin abdominal wall. When you lift something heavy, or strain, bear down, etc. it creates pressure on that weak area and either fat or small bowel may temporarily stick out, causing a bulge. The concern, of course, is that the hernia may cause the blood supply of the bowel to be cut off, which is really, really bad. Thankfully, this happens only rarely, and when it does, emergency surgery takes place to fix the hernia. All studies I reviewed reveal that a “watchful waiting” strategy is just fine, as long as there is no pain or only minimal pain. Once the pain starts to escalate, you know you have a problem and will need to move more expeditiously toward surgical repair. In the mean-time. Put that $8,000 into an index fund. By the time you need the surgery, maybe it will be free.
References:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ans.17594#:~:text=Surgery%20is%20advocated%20to%20treat,incarceration%20with%20associated%20intestinal%20obstruction.
https://journals.lww.com/rhaw/Fulltext/2022/05040/Current_status_of_inguinal_hernia_management__A.1.aspx
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/12/12/4127
https://www.newchoicehealth.com/hernia-repair-surgery/cost
