Groin hernia pathway (Guidelines)

Notes:​

* In a symptomatic patient not fit for / not wishing to consider surgery, conservative management could include:​

• Advice​
• Analgesia​
• Consideration of a truss.
  Some patients find these very helpful for symptom management (can also be used while awaiting surgery), while others find they are too uncomfortable to wear. A referral can be made through Orthotics for the patient to be measured for a truss but many patients are happy to purchase these online and some patients find purchased sports style support garments more comfortable to wear​

** Unilateral groin pain is common, particularly in men, and it is frequently not possible to make a clear diagnosis. 

• The most common causes are musculo-ligamentous strain or referred pain from the hip.
• Hernias rarely present with pain alone.
• Ultrasound is generally unhelpful and tends to lead to the over diagnosis of hernias (can detect fat moving up and down the inguinal canal which may be labelled as a “hernia” but is a normal finding). As such referral for ultrasound scans from primary care exclusively to look for a hernia are unlikely to be accepted by the Radiology Department.