A hernia is formed when the tissues of the abdomen push through a weak point of the thin muscular wall of the belly, which holds the abdominal organs in position. A femoral hernia occurs in the groin junction that connects the abdomen and the thighs. Femoral hernia is formed when the tissues in the lower abdomen pushes through the upper thigh region. This type of hernia is commonly found in women. This might be because the wider pelvis region in women that makes the femoral canal larger as compared to men.  Femoral canal contain the ligaments that hold and support the uterus in position.Femoral hernia is hard to be detected and usually confused for inguinal hernia. Femoral hernia has no symptoms. It causes pain in the abdominal junction. Various tests are required to diagnose the presence of femoral hernia including ultrasound scan or CT scan.  In some cases, the hernia gets strangulated or obstructed. This causes sudden pain when lifting heavy objects or pressuring the abdominal wall during bowel movements. Such medical condition requires emergency treatment.

  • Hernia obstruction – In this case, the hernia that is the bulged tissues or part of the bowel gets stuck in the femoral canal. This will result in excessive pain, nausea and vomiting.
  • Hernia strangulation – strangulated hernia refers to a condition in which the protruded tissues of the abdomen get trapped in the femoral canal thereby resulting in restriction of blood flow to the area. This medical condition requires emergency surgery to restore the blood supply to the area.

There are several other reasons that accounts to the formation of femoral hernia. Femoral hernia can also be caused due to:

  • excessive straining during bowel movement
  • constipation
  • heavy weight lifting
  • obesity
  • Chronic cough

Treatment

Surgery is the best option to treat strangulated femoral hernia. Before the surgery, the doctor advises to limit intake of food and liquids before the surgery. The Laparoscopic hernia surgery procedure begins with a local anesthetic injected to the spine. Using surgical tools few small incisions are made in the abdomen. A laparoscope is inserted through the incision to view a clear image of the hernia and the abdominal cavity. Hernia repair tools are inserted through the incision and the bulged tissues or part of organ is pushes back and placed in position. Later a mesh is placed in the femoral canal so that it prevents the possibility of further occurrence of hernia in the canal. This mesh prevent as a filter that blocks the passage of anything through the femoral canal. The surgery lasts for around 45 minutes to one hour.

After the Surgery the patient are moved into post operative care unit and meditations are administrated to reduce pain and discomfort from the surgery. The patients are advised not to do any heavy tasks for some days. Care should be taken to maintain hygiene in the wounded area and to prevent any Infection. Re occurrence of femoral hernia is negligible. It is also advisable to increase the intake of fibrous food in the diet and reduce weight in patients with obesity.