Body Mass Index and Inguinal Hernia: An Observational Study Focusing on the Association of Inguinal Hernia With Body Mass Index.

Rekha Melwani,Adnan Anwar,Ihsanullah Sial,Sadaf Jabeen Malik,Dharmoon Arija,Atif A Hashmi,Ajay Kumar Bajaj

doi:10.7759/cureus.11426

Abstract

ObjectiveAn inguinal hernia is a common condition associated with advanced age, male gender, smoking, connective tissue disorder, and factors responsible for increased intra-abdominal pressure. This study aimed to observe the relationship of body mass index with the development of inguinal hernia in males and females.MethodologyThis cross-sectional descriptive study using a non-probability convenient sampling technique was carried out at Al-Tibri medical college and hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. A total of 82 patients were selected: 78 males and four females. The ethical approval for the study was taken from Institutional Research and Ethical Committee. Inclusion criteria based on the patient age above 40 of either gender with complaints of pain in the groin region with clinical findings like swelling and tenderness. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 (IBM Inc., Armonk, USA).ResultsThe mean age of 82 patients diagnosed with an inguinal hernia on a clinical basis was 47.41 ± 15.49 years. The mean height was 67.09 ± 3.95 inches. The mean weight was 63.5 ± 6.77 kg. The mean BMI was 22.07 ± 2.17 kg/m2. Seventy-eight (96.06%) were males, and four (5.9%) were females. Thirty-four (41.5%) patients were diagnosed with right inguinal hernia, 34 (41.5%) - with a left inguinal hernia, and 14 (17.1%) - with a bilateral inguinal hernia. BMI was normal in 68 (86.3%) and low in 14 (20.55%) patients. Our study indicated that patients with normal BMI were more likely to suffer from inguinal hernia than patients with low BMI.ConclusionThis study concluded that the normal body mass index was associated with a high occurrence of inguinal hernia among the genders. The normal body mass index in males exhibits more inguinal hernia chances than a low body mass index. It was observed that the frequency of unilateral right inguinal hernia is higher than bilateral. Similarly, males are more affected than females.

Highlights

A hernia is described as a condition where an organ or part of an organ gets displaced and protrudes through the cavity wall containing it [1]
The mean age of 82 patients diagnosed with an inguinal hernia on a clinical basis was 47.41 ± 15.49 years
Thirty-four (41.5%) patients were diagnosed with right inguinal hernia, 34 (41.5%) - with a left inguinal hernia, and 14 (17.1%) - with a bilateral inguinal hernia

Summary

Introduction

A hernia is described as a condition where an organ or part of an organ gets displaced and protrudes through the cavity wall containing it [1]. Hernia might be of congenital origin or occur due to the failure of complete development of some structures right after birth or might appear in later life due to obesity, weakness of muscles, any operation, or disease. Hernias of the abdominal wall are very commonly observed, accounting for around 15-18% of all surgeries. The exact incidence of IH is unknown, but almost 800,000 are repaired every year in the USA alone, and it is calculated that about one in every two men requires repair of an inguinal hernia (IH) in his lifetime [3]. The most frequently observed abdominal wall hernia is IH amounting to approximately 75% of all hernias, including lifetime risk of hernia in 27% of men and 3% in women [4]. The relationship between IH development and body weight is still unclear [5, 6]

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