Types of hernia : A guide to Hernias

How many types of hernia are there? The answer to that is several, many of which can be categorised according to their location within the body. These include abdominal hernias, pelvic hernias and diaphragm related hernias (e.g. hiatus hernia).

Types of hernia include:

• Hiatus hernia
• Inguinal hernia
• Femoral hernia
• Umbilical hernia
• Incisional hernia
• Epigastric hernia
• Spigelian hernia
• Sports hernia

These are all discussed individually within this guide.

These are the most commonly known group of hernias. However, a hernia can develop as a result of a protrusion of any internal organ or tissue and not just through the abdominal wall. There are types of less well known hernias which include:

• Sciatic hernia: a type of hernia in which a section of the small intestine protrudes into an opening within the pelvis called the ‘sacrosciatic foramen’.
• Scrotal hernia: a type of inguinal hernia which has pushed down into the scrotum.
• Vaginal hernia: also known as ‘vaginocele’ (or a prolapsed vagina). This type of hernia occurs in the vagina.
• Ovarian hernia: a type of hernia which occurs within an ovary.
• Perineal hernia: another type of hernia which is a protrusion within the floor of the pelvis. They often develop as a result of surgery within that area, e.g. prolapsed rectum.

There are many variations of an abdominal hernia which involve a range of organs, for example the bowel, bladder and colon. But for the purposes of this guide, we discuss the most popular types of hernia as listed above.