Patient's question:
My child has been crying and fussing a lot these days. He has a hernia, and a lump can be felt at the tip of his penis. I was planning to have surgery for it, but someone told me to try conservative treatment first, saying that surgery might lead to recurrence. Does a hernia surgery in children lead to recurrence?Doctor's answer:
As reported, a 5-year-old child has a noticeable cry and a lump in the inguinal area. This may be related to inguinal hernia in children. The main cause is the failure of the processus vaginalis to close during the descent of the testis in the embryonic period, which can occur in the neonatal period. It is a congenital disease. Inguinal hernias in children over 1 year old cannot heal on their own. If an umbilical hernia is present beyond the age of 4 or if the umbilical cord diameter is 2-3 centimeters or larger, surgical treatment should be considered. After surgery, it is important to avoid symptoms such as severe crying and coughing to prevent recurrence of the hernia.