Is No Treatment An Option?
“My hernia doesn’t hurt, do I still need treatment?”
Many hernias do not hurt so the temptation is to leave them and get on with life. However, failing to get medical advice can be damaging and is not recommended. If left the hernia will grow and discomfort and pain, even if negligible to start with, will intensify.
Leaving a hernia untreated could affect your quality of life and lead to work absences while delaying surgical repair could make later operations more complex. Furthermore, a hernia could also become strangulated if not treated, which means the bowel becomes trapped in the hernia and its blood supply is cut off. A strangulated hernia can be extremely painful and is considered a surgical emergency
