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A hernia occurs when part of an organ (usually the intestines) protrudes through a weak point or tear in the thin muscular wall that holds the abdominal organs in place.
There are several types of hernias, based on where it occurs:
Usually, there is no obvious cause of a hernia, although they are sometimes associated with heavy lifting.
Hernias can be seen in infants and children. This can happen when the lining around the abdominal organs does not close properly before birth. About 5 out of 100 children have inguinal hernias (more boys than girls). Some may not have symptoms until adulthood.
If you have any of the following, you are more likely to develop a hernia:
Patient Care Committee. Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract. Surgical repair of groin hernias. SSAT patient care guidelines. J of Gastrointestinal Surgery . 2004; 8(3): 365-6.
Hachisuka T. Femoral Hernia Repair. Surg Clin North Am . 2003; 83(5): 1189-1205.
Awad SS. Current approaches to inguinal hernia repair. Am J Surg . 2004; 188(6A Suppl): 9S-16S.
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