“I’ll deal with it after my holiday” is one of the most common things surgeons hear. But a hernia won’t wait quietly in the background – and understanding the risks, and how quickly modern surgery lets you recover, may change how you plan your summer.
The risks of leaving a hernia untreated
A hernia will not heal on its own. Symptoms may come and go, but the underlying weakness in the abdominal wall remains and hernias generally continue to enlarge over time, which can make future repair more complex.
The most serious risk is strangulation, where the blood supply to trapped tissue is cut off, causing a surgical emergency. This is relatively uncommon, but a recent systematic review of patients who chose a ‘watch and wait’ approach found that most needed surgery eventually anyway. Around half of the patients had surgery within five years, rising to over 96% by twelve years. Worsening pain and quality of life were the most common reasons for needing surgery sooner rather than later, though a proportion of cases progressed to incarceration or strangulation. This supports the widely held clinical view that most hernias, even those without symptoms, are best repaired rather than left to progress.
Holidays can make things worse
Travel often involves exactly the activities that put pressure on a hernia. Long-haul flights, lifting suitcases, carrying children, watersports, and simply spending hours on your feet exploring a new city all increase pressure within the abdomen. Even getting in and out of a pool or carrying shopping back to your hotel can become uncomfortable.
Rather than enjoying the trip, many patients find themselves avoiding activities and worrying about their symptoms worsening – which rather defeats the purpose of a holiday.
Facing a hernia emergency abroad
A strangulated hernia needs urgent treatment. Symptoms include severe pain, nausea, vomiting, abdominal swelling, and a hernia that becomes firm, tender or impossible to push back. This is stressful enough to deal with at home. Abroad, it can mean navigating an unfamiliar healthcare system, language barriers, and the added complications of travel insurance and repatriation.
Recovery can be quicker than you think
Many patients delay surgery because they assume recovery will take months. In reality, laparoscopic (keyhole) hernia repair is often far less disruptive than people expect. Most patients are up and walking the same day, and recovery from a laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair can be as little as two weeks with many people back to work and normal activities within one to two weeks.
This means that, for many patients, arranging treatment several weeks ahead of a summer trip is entirely realistic, and may allow for a far more worry-free holiday.
Book a consultation
If you have a hernia and a summer trip on the horizon, it’s worth getting it checked out sooner rather than later. Call the Warwick Bowel and Hernia Clinic on 01926 492969 or email admin@bowelandhernia.co.uk to arrange a consultation with Mr Michael Stellakis.
