There are several different sorts of hernias that may require treatment. Find out more about hernias, including why you may need hernia repair surgery, how to get it and how to prepare for it and what recovery can look like in our guides.
What is a hernia?
A hernia is when an organ or tissue pushes out through a weak spot in the surrounding tissue or muscle. Often this happens through the wall of your abdomen (tummy). You might notice a swelling or lump in the area.
What are the different types of hernia?
Different types of hernia are named according to where they are in your body. Some of the most common types include:
Groin hernia – This could be either an Inguinal hernia which is more likely to affect men or a Femoral hernia which is closer to the upper thigh and more frequently affects women.
Umbilical hernia – this is a hernia that forms on or near your belly button. They’re common in babies, but adults can develop them too.
Incisional hernia – this is a hernia that happens when tissue pushes through a previous surgical wound.
Epigastric hernia – these hernias develop in the centre of your body, between your belly button and breastbone.
Guides to different types of hernia repair surgery
How might hernia surgery impact me?
Our Patient Insights Explorer shows how private hospital admissions, length of stay and safety incidents in the UK vary by patient characteristics, such as age, gender, ethnicity and pre-existing conditions.
Built with patients in mind, the Explorer presents clear, plain English summaries and interactive charts covering three areas of care:
- Admissions (how often people are admitted to private hospitals)
- Stays (how long people stay in private hospitals) and
- Incidents (safety related events currently including surgical site infections), with simple filters for nation and payment method (self-pay or insured).
What it means
This means you can look at results that match your own situation. For example, if you’re in your 50s and are planning on paying for your hernia operation yourself, you can see how others like you did.
The goal is to make private healthcare information easier to understand, so you can feel more confident when making choices about your care.
