Glossary
Abdominal wall - The layers of muscle and fatty tissue that surround the abdomen.Anesthesia - A substance that prevents pain from being felt, given before an operation.
Congenital - Condition that is present at birth, as a result of either heredity or environmental influences.
Direct inguinal hernia - Typical in men over 40, occurring next to the opening of the inguinal canal in the groin area.
Femoral canal - The opening between the leg and abdomen where large blood vessels and nerves run.
Femoral hernia - A hernia that typically occurs in women at the opening of the femoral canal.
Groin-The area where the upper thigh meets the trunk. More precisely, the fold or depression marking the juncture of the lower abdomen and the inner part of the thigh.
Incarcerated - Referring to a hernia that cannot be reduced. Also known as non-reducible.
Indirect inguinal hernia - The most common type of inguinal hernia, occurs at the opening of the inguinal canal in the groin area.
Inguinal canal - A naturally occurring "tunnel" in the groin area, through which hernias may form.
Inguinal hernia - A hernia that occurs in the groin area at or near the opening to the inguinal canal.
Incarcerated - Incarceration of a hernia means that the contents of the hernia sac (usually intestine or fat) are trapped in the hernia and cannot be reduced into their normal intra-abdominal position. Incarceration may lead to obstruction or strangulation of the hernia contents.
Non-reducible hernia - A hernia that cannot be flattened out by applying pressure or by lying down.
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Incision – A cut into the skin or abdominal wall
Incisional Hernia – A hernia that pushes through a previous incision site in the abdomen where the muscles and tissues have weakened and separated at the site
Permanent Mesh – Strong knitted material used to patch hernia defects
Recurrent hernia - A hernia that occurs at the same location as a previous hernia.
Umbilical hernia - A hernia that occurs through the umbilical ring around the navel.
Umbilical ring - The ring of tissue surrounding the navel.
