Groin pain
Groin hernia/inguinal herniaA groin hernia is formed due to weakness in the connective tissue near the inguinal canal. Parts of the intestine are forced out through the muscles, tendons and connective tissue until they are under the skin near the inguinal canal. 90 % of those affected are men.
Pain is not always one of the symptoms. If pain does occur, this may point to trapping or necrosis of the intestine due to disrupted blood supply, and this may lead to an ileus (intestinal obstruction). Both situations are life-threatening and require immediate surgery. Under some circumstances, a partial colectomy (removal of part of the intestine) is needed.
In Germany, 230,000 surgeries are carried out on groin hernias every year. Approximately 12 % of operations lead to chronic pain in the groin area. The pain is caused by scarring and nerve injuries in the groin area. As nets are inserted into the abdominal wall of many patients, keloidal scars tend to be the cause of the pain in this case. These pains are treated using local infiltrations with an anaesthetic, nerve root infiltrations and a new type of neurostimulation – ganglion stimulation. Only in very few cases does the loosening of the scarred nerves bring about a lessening of symptoms.
More and more frequently, we are seeing patients that have been suffering from these constant pains for years. On the basis of our experience, they can be helped very quickly. For patients suffering from chronic pain, we use nerve root blocks, peripheral nerve infiltrations and the new technique of ganglion stimulation. Our practice has all known necessary pain management methods at its disposal.