Why I Didn’t Get Hernia Surgery (And When I Would Have)
Watch: Why I Didn’t Get Surgery and the situations where I would have scheduled surgery immediately.
When someone hears my story about dealing with an inguinal hernia, the first question they usually ask is:
“Why didn’t you just get the inguinal hernia surgery?”
It’s a fair question.
For many people diagnosed with an inguinal hernia, surgery is presented as the default option. In fact, most people assume that once a hernia appears, surgery is inevitable.
But in my case, my symptoms were manageable, and I wanted to understand why the hernia happened in the first place before rushing into a permanent procedure.
In this article, I’ll explain:
- Why I didn’t get hernia surgery
- The situations where I absolutely would have gotten surgery
- How I stayed active while working to address the underlying issues
Do All Inguinal Hernias Require Surgery?
One of the most common assumptions about hernias is that surgery is always required.
In reality, the answer is more nuanced.
For some people, surgery is clearly the best option. For others, symptoms may remain mild and manageable for long periods of time.
In my own case, my hernia was noticeable but relatively mild.
I had a lump roughly the size of two golf balls and some pressure, but I wasn’t experiencing severe pain or functional limitations.
Even though it was on my mind constantly, it wasn’t completely stopping me from living my life.
Because of that, I didn’t feel an urgent need to rush into surgery.
One Important Factor: The Hernia Was Reducible
Another key factor was that my hernia was reducible.
That means I could gently push the hernia back into place and keep it there with a hernia belt designed for active people.
This allowed me to stay active while I tried to understand what might have contributed to the hernia in the first place.
Being able to keep the hernia reduced made it possible for me to continue activities like:
- Surfing
- Riding dirt bikes
- Strength training
- Normal daily movement
For me, this bought time to work on the deeper issues.
Why I Didn’t Get Hernia Surgery
Another reason I chose to wait was that hernia surgery is permanent.
Once the procedure is done, it can’t be undone.
In many cases, surgeons implant mesh to reinforce the abdominal wall. While most surgeries go well, the mesh becomes part of your body permanently.
Like any surgery, there are also risks such as:
- Post-operative pain
- Complications
- Recurrence
Because my symptoms were manageable, I personally didn’t feel the need to rush into a permanent procedure unless the situation worsened.
What I Started Looking At Instead: The Root Causes
Instead of jumping straight to surgery, I became obsessed with understanding why hernias happen in the first place.
Over time, after speaking with thousands of people dealing with inguinal hernias and experimenting with my own recovery, I kept seeing the same patterns appear again and again.
These patterns eventually led me to what I believe are five major root causes of many inguinal hernias:
When I began addressing these issues consistently, my symptoms started improving.
Eventually, my hernia became completely asymptomatic, and today I live my life as if it’s not there.
If you want a deeper explanation of these root causes, you can read more here:
Learn about the five root causes of inguinal hernias
The Situation Where I Absolutely Would Have Gotten Surgery
Even though I chose to wait, I want to be very clear about something.
There were specific situations where I would have gotten surgery immediately.
If my hernia had:
- Become non-reducible
- Started causing serious pain
- Dropped into the scrotum
I would have scheduled surgery right away.
No hesitation.
Those scenarios represent a very different situation from a mild, manageable hernia.
Is Hernia Surgery the Right Choice for You?
The reality is that everyone’s situation is different.
For many people, surgery is absolutely the best option.
I’ve even had friends who developed hernias, and I told them they would probably be better off getting surgery. I knew their personality and knew they wouldn’t want to commit to the kind of long-term lifestyle changes that addressing root causes requires.
The path I took was not easy.
It required patience, discipline, and a willingness to make consistent changes over time.
But for someone who is willing to commit to that process, it may be possible to improve symptoms dramatically.
If you’ve just been diagnosed and you’re trying to decide whether you should get hernia surgery or wait, read this post.
What My Hernia Ultimately Taught Me
When I first discovered I had a hernia, it felt like my body had betrayed me.
Looking back now, I see it very differently.
My body wasn’t broken.
It was sending a signal that something needed to change.
Once I started addressing those underlying imbalances, everything began to shift.
Today I’m completely asymptomatic and living the same active life I always have — in many ways better than before.
The real question isn’t simply whether you should get surgery.
The real question is: what might your body be trying to tell you?
Free Guide: How to Stay Active With a Hernia
If you’ve recently been diagnosed with an inguinal hernia and want to learn how to stay active while you figure out your next step, I created a free guide:
How to Stay Active With a Hernia Without Making It Worse