The inguinal hernia is the commonest type of hernia in children. Either scheduled or as an emergency, hernia surgery is performed daily in every pediatric surgical institution worldwide, regardless of age or gender. In this chapter, we discuss the embryology of the inguinal canal and its pathophysiological association with hernia formation. We also present the most frequent clinical and diagnostic issues of the pediatric hernia. The management of strangulated hernia, differential diagnosis, and the particular uncommon hernia types are presented as well. We finally present the evolution of hernia surgery from the classical operative methods to the modern laparoscopic techniques.
Part of the book: Hernia Updates and Approaches