Continued from last week
Hernias
Colloquially, all over the English speaking world, people describe hernias as ‘ruptures’. Please be advised that a hernia is a protrusion of an organ, or part of an organ, through an opening in a body wall. This ‘wall’ could be where the abdominal muscles meet; it could be the diaphragm; it could be in the area of the groin. The hernias are usually described according to the location: ‘abdominal’/’umbilical’ ‘diaphragmic’ or ‘inguinal’ (groin) or ‘scrotal.’
Hernias can also be defined by their origin. For example, if the ‘rupture’ has occurred because of a hit (a blunt force impacting on the skin or muscle), one can speak of an acquired hernia. On the other hand, the animal could be born with such a defect; we then speak of a congenitial hernia. This latter type has a hereditary basis, a genetic predisposition for delayed closure of the abdominal ring.
The two most common sites where hernias occur are the groin (inguinal) and around the navel (umbilical). When the bulge can be pushed back into the abdomen, the hernia is ‘reducible.’ When it cannot, the hernia is described as ‘incarcerated.’ An incarcerated hernia becomes ‘strangulated,’ if the blood supply to the tissues in the
