# Can an inguinal hernia disappear?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-inguinal-hernia-disappear/382327>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 30, 2006, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-inguinal-hernia-disappear/382327 "2006-11-30T15:37:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-inguinal-hernia-disappear/382327/1 "2006-11-30T15:37:52Z")

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One of my coworkers was diagnosed in August with an inguinal hernia that was supposed to require surgery. He was scheduled for surgery December 4, but when he went in yesterday for his pre-surgery consultation, the same doctors told him that he showed no signs of an inguinal hernia. He asked if it could have healed, and they said they wanted to do exploratory surgery, not answering the question.

Can an inguinal hernia just up and heal on its own?

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**Author:** ![miamouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ad7895/32.png) [@miamouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miamouse)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-inguinal-hernia-disappear/382327/2 "2006-11-30T19:01:45Z")

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Maybe he was misdiagnosed.  
from this site: [http://www.babysurg.org/hernia.html](http://www.babysurg.org/hernia.html)

> [@](#):
>
> It is unusual to find childhood inguinal hernias after the age of 10. [snip] Surgery is the only treatment option for hernias; they do not resolve on their own. In general, we recommend that inguinal hernias be repaired at the earliest convenient time, because of the risk of incarceration and potential injury to organs.