Skip to main contentHernia assessment in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar · Dr Harsh Shah · Gastro Surgeon · Dr. Jivraj Mehta Hospital, Vasna, Ahmedabad
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This page does one job: it sorts a hernia before anyone talks about an operation. Three questions decide everything that follows. Is this lump actually a hernia? Does it need repair — today, soon, or not yet? And which kind of hernia is it, so that you read about the right repair? No tablet, exercise or belt closes a hernia, but not every hernia has to be operated on the week it is found, and a few must never be watched at all.
Dr. Jivraj Mehta Hospital
Dr Harsh Shah
MS, MCh (Surgical Gastroenterology), DrNB (Surgical Gastroenterology)
Registered with Gujarat Medical Council, Reg. No. G-38738
Gastro Surgeon
· Dr. Jivraj Mehta Hospital, Vasna, Ahmedabad
Qualified twice over in surgical gastroenterology, Dr Harsh Shah operates on the abdominal wall as part of a practice that also covers the stomach, intestine, liver and pancreas — which matters most for the hernias that are not simple: those after a previous operation, those around a stoma, and those that arrive as an emergency with bowel trapped inside. Google rating 4.94 from 18 reviews at the Dr. Jivraj Mehta Hospital, Vasna, Ahmedabad listing.
A hernia is a weak spot in the wall of the abdomen through which fat or bowel pushes out. It shows itself as a swelling in the groin, at the navel or along an old scar that grows on standing, coughing or straining and shrinks or disappears on lying down. The main test is a doctor's examination, standing and lying, feeling for the push of a cough. When that examination is clear, no scan is needed.
A scan earns its place in particular situations. An ultrasound helps when a groin lump is uncertain on examination, or when there is groin pain and a hernia is suspected but cannot be felt. A CT scan of the abdomen is used for hernias through an old operation scar, for large or complex hernias, for a hernia that has come back after a repair, in patients carrying a lot of weight, and in every emergency — for a complex abdominal wall repair, the CT is the planning document.
Equally important is what does not behave like a hernia. A lump that is hard, fixed, has no cough impulse and does not change with position is not assumed to be a hernia and is not repaired as one; it is examined further with imaging first. Pain in the groin with nothing to feel is not automatically a hernia either. Getting this step right avoids two errors that both happen in practice: an operation on something that was never a hernia, and a hernia dismissed as a pulled muscle.
There is no medical treatment that closes a hernia; the only repair is an operation. But the timing varies from the same day to not yet. A hernia that has become irreducible, painful and tender, with redness over it, vomiting or a swollen abdomen, may have trapped bowel and is a surgical emergency. A femoral hernia is repaired rather than watched. A painful or growing hernia is repaired on a planned date. And a groin hernia in a man that causes little or no trouble can be watched safely for a time — with honest expectations about where that usually leads.
| Situation | What happens next |
|---|---|
| Hard, painful lump that will not go back; redness, vomiting, a swollen abdomen or no wind passing | Emergency assessment the same day — this may be strangulation |
| A femoral hernia, even a small one that does not hurt | Repair is planned; watching is not appropriate |
| A hernia that aches, drags, is enlarging or limits work | Planned repair after the risk factors below are addressed |
| A groin hernia in a man with little or no discomfort | Watchful waiting is a reasonable choice, reviewed over time |
| A patient genuinely unfit for any operation | A belt for comfort, with clear warning signs explained |
About watchful waiting, honestly: it is an evidence-based option for a minimally troublesome groin hernia in a man, and it is not neglect. But it is not a permanent alternative either. Most men who start by watching go on to need the repair within a few years as the hernia grows or begins to hurt, and the plan is made knowing that. Watching stops the day the lump turns firm, will not go back, or the pain becomes constant.
About belts and trusses: they do not treat a hernia and they do not prevent bowel getting trapped. They are a comfort measure for someone who cannot have an operation, and should be described to patients as nothing more.
The quality of a hernia repair is decided partly before the operation, by choosing the right patient and preparing them. Several conditions make a repair more likely to fail or to get infected, and each is worked on first where the hernia allows the wait.
Whatever the type, adult hernia repair today uses a mesh, sized to overlap the weak area generously, and closes the gap in the muscle rather than simply bridging it. Most groin and small navel repairs are done as day cases.
What every patient is told before agreeing, whatever the hernia: bleeding or a collection of blood at the site; wound infection; difficulty passing urine for a day, particularly in older men; a soft swelling at the repair site afterwards, called a seroma, which is common and usually settles without treatment — it is not the hernia coming back; numbness or burning from a nerve near the repair; in men after a groin repair, pain or swelling of the testicle; rarely, injury to bowel, bladder or a blood vessel; infection of the mesh, which can mean removing it; and the hernia coming back. One complication deserves to be said plainly because patients are least warned about it: groin pain that persists for months after an inguinal repair and interferes with daily life. It is commoner than recurrence, it is asked about at every follow-up, and it is treated if it occurs. In an emergency repair, if trapped bowel has died it must be removed, and the risk to life is higher than in a planned operation. Dr Harsh Shah goes through each of these personally before consent, with the figures that apply to your own hernia and your own health — they are not general numbers and are not quoted on a page.
After a groin or small repair, normal activity returns as comfort allows. Arbitrary bans on lifting for weeks are not supported by evidence; a return to desk work is usually possible within a week or two. Large repairs of the abdominal wall take longer, and that recovery is planned in advance.
Hiatus hernia sits at the diaphragm rather than in the abdominal wall, and is repaired in a different way — one of the families in the table above.
Hernia repair is covered by cashless health insurance and by corporate schemes at Dr. Jivraj Mehta Hospital, Vasna, Ahmedabad. What moves an estimate is the type and size of the hernia, the approach and the mesh, whether it is a day case or needs several nights, and whether it is planned or an emergency. A written estimate is prepared for your own policy rather than a figure being quoted in general.
Pre-authorisation is arranged by the hospital’s insurance desk before a planned repair, with a clinical note from Dr Harsh Shah’s office. Bring policy papers and identification, any scan, and your regular medicines in their strips. Blood thinners and diabetes medicines need written instructions before admission. In an emergency, admission is not delayed for paperwork; the insurance desk completes it during the stay.
★★★★★
“I would like to recommend Dr Swati and Dr Harsh for any gastrointestinal and uro- gynecological related issues..Both doctors are highly experienced and treat patients with utmost care. — Neha Jain, Google review”
★★★★★
“I am very thankful to Dr. Harsh Shah for treating me for gallstone disease and performing my laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The entire treatment and surgery were handled very professionally. Dr. Harsh Shah explained everything clearly and made me feel comfortable throughout the process. My recovery has been very good, and I am extremely satisfied with the care I received. Highly recommended for laparoscopic and gastrointestinal surgery. — Akshaya Shaw, Google review”
A real Google review from Dr Harsh Shah’s Dr. Jivraj Mehta Hospital, Vasna, Ahmedabad listing, reproduced exactly as written.
No. A hernia is a gap in the wall of the abdomen, and only a repair closes it. Exercise does not close it, and a belt only holds it in for comfort — it does not prevent bowel from getting trapped.
Not always straight away. A groin hernia in a man that causes little trouble can be watched, with clear warning signs explained — though most go on to need repair within a few years. A femoral hernia is the exception: it is repaired rather than watched, even when it is small and does not hurt.
A hernia that has become hard, painful and tender and will not go back, especially with redness over it, vomiting, a swollen abdomen, or no wind passing. That combination can mean bowel is trapped and needs emergency assessment.
Often not. For a groin hernia that is clear on examination, no scan is needed. An ultrasound helps when the examination is uncertain; a CT is used for hernias through a previous scar, large or recurrent hernias, and emergencies.
Usually not. A soft swelling at the repair site in the weeks after surgery is most often a seroma — a collection of fluid that settles by itself. It is checked at follow-up; it is not routinely drained.
The one for your type.
Dr Harsh Shah consults at Dr. Jivraj Mehta Hospital, Vasna, Ahmedabad.
Patients come to Dr Harsh Shah from across Gujarat and from Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Most planned groin and navel repairs are day cases, so a single trip for the operation is often enough, with the first check-up arranged around travel.
Told you have “a hernia” but not which kind, or whether it needs an operation now? Any ultrasound or CT report can be sent ahead of the appointment so the consultation starts with it already read; the decision is made at the consultation, after examination. Call +91-63555-64601 · Bring the report to the visit
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