Femoral Hernias
According to the British Hernia Centre, femoral hernias account for only 6% of hernias that develop in the groin. They occur more often in women, perhaps because of a larger, differently angled pelvis, which means a larger femoral canal for blood vessels to pass through—not to mention the pressure of childbirth on the abdomen.
Femoral hernias are often mistaken for inguinal hernias, which could account for the rarity of their occurrence. Visually, evidence that you have a femoral hernia may appear as slight swelling near or just below the crease of skin that acts as the separator of abdomen and thigh. Pain, particularly in the groin, is another indicator of a femoral hernia. While femoral hernias are frequently too small to see, smaller hernias are associated with more pain than larger hernias, as larger one typically have a bigger area of the abdominal wall to come through. The femoral canal is unyielding, which makes even the small bulge potentially very dangerous.
Very often there is no indication the femoral hernia is present, which makes these hernias quite dangerous. Because of the aforementioned unyielding nature of the canal, they often become strangulated, making the bulge hard and sensitive to the touch. It’s also possible for the hernia to get stuck before the strangulation actually occurs. This can make abdominal pain that results from the hernia quite severe, in addition to inciting nausea and vomiting. The first sign of femoral hernias often result in an emergency requiring immediate surgery; it’s extremely important to treat these hernias promptly, before strangulation occurs and tissue death sets in.
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