Femoral hernia repair (femoral herniorrhaphy)

What is femoral hernia repair?

A femoral hernia happens when fatty tissue or a loop of bowel pushes through a weak spot in the groin, into a narrow space called the femoral canal, near the top of the inner thigh. It often shows as a lump that may ache.

Femoral hernia repair is an operation to push the bulge back inside and close or reinforce the weak spot, often with a small piece of mesh. It can be done as open surgery (one cut over the lump) or by keyhole (laparoscopic) surgery using several small cuts.

Unlike many other hernias, a femoral hernia is usually repaired soon after it is found. The femoral canal is narrow, so there is a higher chance the contents get trapped (incarceration) or have their blood supply cut off (strangulation), which is a surgical emergency.

Surgery treats the hernia itself. It does not treat the underlying tendency to develop hernias, and a hernia can come back or appear elsewhere.

Types & techniques

There isn't one single operation. The right approach depends on you — which is something to discuss with your surgeon.

Open versus keyhole repair

The best approach depends on your situation, whether one or both sides are involved, and your surgeon's experience. Ask why a particular method is suggested for you.

Preparing for your surgery

• See the operating surgeon, who will examine the lump and confirm it is a femoral hernia.
• Tell the team about all medicines, especially blood thinners, and any health conditions.
• Stop smoking if you can; it raises the chance of wound and chest problems and slows healing.
• Follow fasting instructions for the day of surgery if you are having a general anaesthetic.
• Arrange a lift home and someone to stay with you for the first 24 hours.
• Plan time off work and help at home, especially if your job involves lifting.
• Ask what to do, and who to call, if the lump becomes painful or hard before your operation date.

What happens

On the day, you will meet the surgeon and anaesthetist to confirm the plan and consent. Most planned femoral hernia repairs are done under general anaesthetic, although open repair can sometimes be done with a regional or local anaesthetic.

In an open repair, the surgeon makes a cut over the hernia, eases the contents back into the tummy, and closes the weak spot, often placing a small piece of mesh. In a keyhole repair, small cuts are used with a camera to place mesh from the inside.

The operation usually takes about 30 to 45 minutes. If the hernia is trapped, the surgeon will check that any bowel is healthy and, rarely, remove a damaged part. Most people go home the same day once they are awake, comfortable and able to pass urine.

Is this operation right for me?

A good consultation should explore whether it's the right choice for you now — including reasons to wait or consider something else.

Before you decide

Use this as a shared-decision checklist. The aim is not just “can this be done?”, but whether it is right for you, now, with the risks and alternatives clearly understood.

Anaesthetic choices

The safest option depends on the operation, your health, the facility and your surgeon/anaesthetist. Ask what is planned and why.

The most important reason to repair a femoral hernia is the risk of strangulation, which is higher than for other groin hernias and can need emergency surgery. If you are having an emergency repair, the risks are higher and bowel may need to be removed. Ask your surgeon about your personal risk, whether mesh will be used, and the chance the hernia could come back.

Published figures to discuss

Risk depends heavily on whether the operation is planned or an emergency, your age and your general health. Planned repair is usually low-risk, but emergency repair for a strangulated hernia carries a higher chance of bowel resection and serious complications. The figures below are broad ranges from surgical literature and registries, not promises for any individual.

These are literature figures, not a personalised prediction. Your own risks and likely benefits depend on your circumstances, your health, and how your care is carried out and followed up.

Recovery — what to expect, and when

Most people recover from a planned femoral hernia repair over about six weeks, with the first week or two being the most uncomfortable. Recovery is usually slower after an emergency operation.

• Bruising and swelling around the groin and sometimes the upper thigh
• A firm ridge or small lump along the healing wound that softens over weeks
• Pulling or tightness when you cough, sneeze or move
• Tiredness for a week or two, especially after a general anaesthetic

Aftercare

• Take regular pain relief as advised for the first few days.
• Keep the wound clean and dry, and follow advice on dressings and showering.
• Support your tummy with a hand when you cough or sneeze in the first days.
• Build up walking gently, but avoid heavy lifting and strenuous exercise early on.
• Eat well and stay hydrated, and use any advice on avoiding constipation and straining.
• Do not drive until you can do an emergency stop comfortably and your team agrees.
• Keep any follow-up appointments and save the clinic's contact number.

• Pain relief bought or prescribed
• Loose, comfortable clothing ready
• Lift home and someone to stay overnight arranged
• Time off work booked
• Help with shopping, children or pets in the first week
• Clinic and out-of-hours contact numbers saved

Scars and how they heal

An open repair leaves a single scar in the groin crease, which usually fades over months. Keyhole repair leaves several small scars. Scars can be firm or raised at first; sun protection helps them settle. Some numbness near the scar is common and usually improves.

⚠ Get urgent help if…

• Sudden severe groin pain with a hard, very tender lump that will not push back
• Being sick, a swollen tummy, or not being able to pass wind or open your bowels
• A high temperature, feeling shivery or generally very unwell
• Increasing redness, heat, swelling or discharge from the wound
• A red, hot, swollen or painful calf, or sudden breathlessness or chest pain
• Bleeding that soaks through dressings and does not stop

Who to contact: your surgeon or clinic first (keep their number to hand). For urgent advice when you can't reach them, call NHS 111. In an emergency, call 999.

General guidance — it doesn't replace the specific advice your surgeon gives you.

Results & realistic expectations

A successful repair removes the lump and the risk it carries, and most people return to normal activity within about six weeks. Mesh repair lowers, but does not remove, the chance the hernia comes back.

Surgery treats this hernia but cannot guarantee you will never get another hernia, here or elsewhere. Some people have longer-lasting groin discomfort, so it is worth asking your surgeon what to expect for you.

Most modern mesh repairs are durable and last for many years. The hernia can still come back, particularly after an emergency operation, a wound infection, or in people who do heavy lifting or have a long-term cough or constipation. Keeping a healthy weight and treating constipation or a chronic cough can help protect the repair.

Combining with other procedures

If a hernia is found on both sides, your surgeon may discuss repairing both during the same operation, which can suit a keyhole approach. This is a shared decision based on your symptoms and fitness, and you should not feel pushed into more surgery than you need.

Follow-up & long-term care

Many people are reviewed once after surgery to check the wound is healing, or are given clear advice on what to expect and when to seek help instead. If bowel was removed during an emergency operation, follow-up is usually closer. Report any pain, swelling or wound problems promptly.

Revision and secondary surgery reality

• If the hernia recurs, a further repair may be needed, sometimes using a different approach.
• Emergency operations are more likely to need additional procedures, including bowel surgery.
• Longer-lasting groin pain occasionally needs further assessment or treatment.
• A wound seroma or haematoma usually settles on its own but is sometimes drained.

Ask your surgeon for their own revision rate, what counts as a revision, and what is included in the written aftercare policy.

What good aftercare looks like

• Clear written warning signs for strangulation, wound infection and blood clots, with a named contact route.
• Advice on pain relief, wound care, returning to driving and work, and avoiding heavy lifting early on.
• A plan for follow-up or clear guidance on when to seek review.
• Honest discussion of recurrence and longer-term groin discomfort, and what to do if they happen.

What affects the cost

Costs vary a great deal between people and providers, and we don't publish prices. What matters is understanding what drives the cost and making sure your quote is complete. The main things that affect it:

• Whether the repair is open or keyhole
• Surgeon and anaesthetist fees
• Theatre and facility costs, and any overnight stay
• The type and amount of mesh used
• Whether one or both sides are repaired
• Tests before surgery and follow-up appointments
• Extra care if the hernia is trapped and needs emergency treatment

• The surgeon's and anaesthetist's fees
• Theatre, facility and any overnight stay costs
• Mesh or other materials used
• Anaesthetic type included
• Follow-up appointments and wound checks
• The cancellation policy
• What happens, and who pays, if there is a complication or the hernia comes back

On the NHS? Femoral hernia repair is commonly available on the NHS when clinically indicated, and is often arranged promptly because of the risk of strangulation; private care is used mainly for timing, choice of surgeon or self-pay.

You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including aftercare and any revision — before you decide.

Consent traps and marketing red flags

These are not small details. They are often where patients lose choice, time to reflect, or realistic expectations.

Choosing a surgeon safely

• Check your surgeon is on the GMC Specialist Register for this area.
• Make sure they practise at a CQC-registered location, and look for membership of bodies like BAAPS or BAPRAS.
• You're entitled to a two-stage consent process with time to reflect (a cooling-off period). The surgeon who will operate must consent you — not a salesperson.
• Be wary of pressure: time-limited offers, discounts or deposits taken before you've had time to think are red flags, not bargains.
• You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including aftercare and any revision — before you decide.

How Vuemedics verifies every consultant →

Take this to your consultation. A good surgeon will welcome every one of these.

• Do you recommend open or keyhole repair for me, and why?
• Will you use mesh, and what are the risks and benefits in my case?
• What is my personal risk of the hernia coming back?
• How likely am I to have longer-lasting groin pain afterwards?
• What should I do if the lump becomes painful or hard before my operation?
• When can I safely return to my type of work and to driving?
• Are you on the GMC Specialist Register for this area, and which Royal College or professional body are you a member of?
• Will you be the surgeon who carries out my operation, and who looks after me afterwards?
• What are the risks for someone like me, and how often do your own patients have a problem or need it repeated or redone?
• What does a realistic result look like — and what can this operation not achieve?
• What are my options, including waiting, doing nothing for now, or choosing a different approach?
• Can I have written information, results and aftercare instructions in a format I can use, including any accessibility or communication support I need?
• What is the total cost in writing, including any follow-ups, and how much time do I have to decide?

Find a verified surgeon for femoral hernia repair

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How we made this page

Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant. Written in plain English, checked against NHS, NICE, GMC and relevant Royal College / specialist-society guidance, and kept under review. No clinic paid to appear on this page, and we publish no pricing. This is general information to help you prepare — it is not a substitute for advice from your own clinician. How we review our guides →

Source hierarchy: UK regulator and NHS/NICE guidance first, then relevant Royal College or specialist-society guidance, then peer-reviewed evidence for procedure-specific figures where available.

Sources & standards: NHS — Femoral hernia repair NHS — Femoral hernia repair: how it's performed British Hernia Society TeachMeSurgery — Femoral hernia Strangulated femoral hernia case series — Mayo Clinic Proceedings Midline preperitoneal repair for incarcerated/strangulated femoral hernia — PMC

Reviews reflect patients' experience of care, not clinical outcomes. For procedure volumes and outcome data see PHIN.

Last medically reviewed 2026-09-21. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Report an error in this guide.