Hernia Surgeries are the most common surgeries accounting for 800,000 surgeries every year in the USA.

In Hernias Groin Hernias are the most common types of hernia that affect the groin part and in Groin Hernias, Inguin hernias are the most common type. In this article, we are going to discuss different types of groins, their surgeries, and their effect on erections and erectile dysfunction.

Hernia

Hernia develops when internal organs push or bulge into weak muscles or tissues, openings in muscles or tissues, or previous incisions.

Most hernias are caused by organs in the abdomen pushing into the muscles of nearby organs like the chest, groin, and belly button. Hernias are divided into different types based on which parts are affected, which we’ll talk about next.

Most hernias happen when muscles or tissues get weaker with age, but they can also happen during birth or after surgery. They don’t pose an immediate threat to life, but they don’t usually go away on their own, either. They might also need surgery to avoid more problems in the future.

Types of Hernia

Hernias are divided into different types based on the parts that are affected. Here are the different types:

Inguinal Hernia

Inguinal Hernia happens when fatty or intestinal tissue pushes through a weak spot or tear in the lower abdominal wall near the right or left inguinal canal.

Most hernias are inguinal hernias, which make up 75% of all hernias.

The groin is where the inguinal canal is. In men, this is where the spermatic cord goes from the abdomen to the scrotum. The testicles are attached to the spermatic cord.

Men are more likely to get inguinal hernias because their testicles drop through the inguinal canal soon after birth. The canal should close nearly all the way behind them. The canal doesn’t always close completely, leaving a weak spot.

Femoral Hernia

Femoral Hernia happens when fatty intestine tissues push through the weak abdominal walls and into the femoral canal. The Femoral canal is part of the Inguinal canal.

Femoral hernias are less common than inguinal hernias. About 3% of all groin hernias are femoral hernias. Even though more women than men get inguinal hernias, the ratio of women to men who get femoral hernias is about 10:1. Men rarely get femoral hernias. When a femoral hernia is found, there may be other problems as well. For example, 10% of women and 50% of men with a femoral hernia already have or will get an inguinal hernia. With age, the chance of getting a femoral hernia and having complications like being locked up or strangling yourself goes up. [1]

Hiatal Hernia

Hiatal Hernia happens when the abdominal part ( typically the upper part of the stomach ) bulges into the chest cavity through esophageal hiatus of the diaphragm. Esophageal hiatus is an opening in the diaphragm through which the esophagus passes from the thorax into the abdomen.

Umbilical Hernia

An umbilical hernia happens when the intestines push through the belly button. An umbilical hernia is most common in young children and babies.

Most of the time, Umbilical Hernia goes away on its own as kids get older and the muscles in the abdominal wall get stronger.

Umbilical hernia can also happen in adults due to obesity or pregnancy strain or fluid in the abdomen.

Ventral Hernia

A ventral hernia happens when tissues or intensities push through the weak abdominal walls. In general, incisional hernia, umbilical hernia, and epigastric hernia are all different types of ventral hernia.

Hernia effect on Erections and Erectile Dysfunction in Men

As we’ve seen, there are many different kinds of hernias. The only ones that affect the groin are inguinal and femoral hernias. These two hernias are also called “groin hernias”.

As we’ve already talked about, men are less likely to have femoral hernias, and inguinal hernias are one of the most common types.

Even though Inguinal and Femoral Hernias affect the area of the groin where the spermatic cord passes through, they don’t affect the nerves that control erections and sexual activity. So a hernia doesn’t usually cause problems with erections or erectile dysfunction.

Groin Hernia ( Inguinal or Femoral Hernia ) Surgery and Erectile Dysfunction

There are different types of surgeries available for treating inguinal Hernia and Femoral Hernia in men. Here are the three methods

Open Hernia Repair Surgery

Open Hernia Repair Surgery is a procedure that involves invasion and in this procedure, a surgeon makes a cut in the groin. Later, he finds the area that is hurt by the hernia and pushes the intestines back into the abdomen. He then stitches or uses synthetic mesh to strengthen the abdominal wall.

Laparoscopic Hernia Repair Surgery

In laparoscopic hernia surgery, three very small cuts are made, and through one of them, a telescope-like tool is put in. This lets the surgeon see what’s going on inside your body on TV screens in the operating room.

During this procedure, a mesh is put inside to cover the weak spots in the abdominal wall and strengthen the tissue in the groin.

Robotic Hernia Repair Surgery

Robotic Hernia Repair Surgery is a type of laparoscopic surgery in which the surgeon controls the surgical tools while sitting at a console. Small hernias could be fixed with robotic surgery, and the inner walls of the abdomen could be rebuilt. Robotic Hernia Surgery tools give a clear three-dimensional view of the hernia compared to the other two procedures.

As we’ve seen, there are three kinds of surgeries for treating groin (Inguinal or Femoral) hernias. Now let’s talk about whether or not they will affect erections and erectile dysfunction in men.

Before understanding the relationship between erections and the Groin ( Inguinal or Femoral ) Hernia Repair Surgery, let’s discuss the pain in the groin after the surgery.

Generally, the pain disappears after surgery but in most cases but in cases, the pain may last for a few months or even years. There are two main reasons for the pain after surgery.

Reactions to the Mesh: 

Inflammation or irritation that can cause pain might happen due to the mesh when the body recognizes the mesh as a foreign object or when the mesh rubs against the muscles or nerves.

Nerve Disturbance:

There are typically three distinct types of nerves that travel through the region of the groin and If one of these nerves gets stuck in the mesh, it can be very painful in the groin.

Effect of Surgery on Erections and Erectile Dysfunction

We talked about what causes pain after hernia surgery because, even though there isn’t a direct link between Inguinal Hernia Surgery and Erectile Dysfunction, pain in the groin after surgery can cause pain during sex and affect erections, which can lead to erectile dysfunction.

A study found that 5.3% of men with groin ( inguinal or femoral ) hernias who had surgery to fix them had sexual problems and that 9% of men had pain during sexual activity. [2]

7.8% of people who had minimally invasive procedures had sexual problems and 7.4% had painful sexual activity afterward. With more invasive “open” surgeries, 3.7% of patients had problems with their sexual function, and 12.5% said that sexual activity was painful.

So pain after Inguinal or Femoral surgery can make it hard to get an erection and lead to erectile dysfunction.

Conclusion

As we have discussed the postoperative pain due to the groin ( Inguinal of Femoral ) hernia surgery is the main cause of erectile dysfunction in men. So erectile dysfunction can go away when the pain from surgery or treatment for a hernia goes away.