Inguinal Hernia Surgery Cost
Last Updated on December 31, 2023
Written by CPA Alec Pow | Content Reviewed by 
CFA Alexander Popinker
An inguinal hernia occurs when a portion of the intestine enters the inguinal canal, following a muscle rupture at this level. The resulting swelling can be painful, especially when you cough, bend, or lift heavy objects. In this type of hernia, the opening in the abdominal wall may be present from birth or may develop later in life. It occurs primarily in men and can spread to the abdomen and scrotum.
From an anatomical point of view, the testies are found in the uterine cavity in the abdominal cavity and descend into the scrotum immediately before birth, forming the inguinal canal. Typically, communication between the abdominal cavity and the groin region closes. In the absence of closure, congenital hernia occurs in children, and in case of rupture of this membrane in adults, acquired inguinal hernia occurs.
Surgery is the only curative treatment for inguinal hernia. Behavior in the case of small and asymptomatic hernias generally consists of monitoring, with the recommendation that the operation not be delayed for a long time in order to avoid the installation of complications such as strangulation or incarceration.
How much does inguinal hernia surgery cost?
When it comes to the cost of hernia surgery, there are various factors that can influence your final bill. For instance, open inguinal surgeries tend to be less expensive than incarcerated types because they require fewer incisions and less post-surgery recovery time than other procedures. On average, the open inguinal one costs anywhere between $4,300 and $8,000. Anyway, if you have health insurance, you may have to pay only a part of this amount or nothing at all. It is recommended to ask your insurance company about what is covered. During our research, we found that in case you have health insurance, you will have to pay only $700 to $1,500.
Laparoscopic hernia surgeries are more expensive procedures to go through, costing anywhere between $4,500 and $11,000 without insurance. However, if you’re insured, it will cost around $750 to $2,200.
You might also like our articles about the cost of sciatica surgery, toe shortening surgery, or parotidectomy surgery.
Some people may need to delay surgy if they’re not experiencing any pain or discomfort. Doctors typically recommend that these patients be fitted with hernia trusses, which push the bulging organ back inside their bodies and can cost between $25 and $120 on average for one device.
You should know that health insurance companies will generally cover the cost of this surgery as long as your doctor deems it necessary. This could mean the need to providing documentation showing pain or discomfort.
Expect to pay around $4,500 for open hernia surgery at the California Hernia Specialists if you do not have insurance. The surgeon fees are $1,600; you will also have to pay $2,200 in surgery center fees, and the anesthesiologist costs $700.
According to the New Choice Health, the price for open hernia surgery is anywhere between $4,000 and $11,000, and the laparoscopic one costs $1,800 to $5,000.
Also, according to the Amino website, the average price for hernia surgery is $8,000.
Factors that influence the price
Procedure
The cost of healthcare can be affected by many factors, including what happens during your procedure. For example, if an emergency were to arise and you needed urgent care or surgery but didn’t schedule it ahead of time, it would cost you much more than someone who did.
Your insurance
Insurance companies provide many different types of coverage that are tailored to meet individual needs. However, there is no single uniform price for all policies because they depend on your network rate.
The place you are living in
The price of health care may vary depending on where you live. If an urban area has more doctors and hospitals, it will likely cost less than a rural one with only one doctor for miles around.
Inguinal hernia surgery details
Surgical treatment of inguinal hernia can be performed by open or laparoscopic surgery.
The open surgery is performed under regional anesthesia (spinal anesthesia) or general anesthesia. The procedure consists of an incision in the groin area, reduction of the hernia sac in the abdominal cavity, and suturing of the weakened muscle wall, most often with the use of a surgical net for strengthening.
Laparoscopic surgery is a less invasive procedure, with multiple benefits for the patient, that comes with a reduction in the risk of complications, scarring and postoperative recovery. The procedure involves several minimal incisions through which the telescope connected to a video camera and the working instrument are inserted into the abdominal cavity, the objective being the same, to repair the hernia and apply the surgical net.
The duration of the intervention for inguinal hernia is about 45-60 minutes.
Inguinal hernia surgery usually requires two days of hospitalization, followed by a period of 3 weeks before the resumption of activity in the case of laparoscopic surgery, respectively 4-6 weeks in the case of open surgery.
During the postoperative recovery, the patient has no significant restrictions. Heavy physical exertion that contracts the abdominal wall is prohibited. The explanation is simple: this recovery period represents the time required for the wall to be permanently fixed, and the intense physical efforts can lead to its detachment from the fixing points.
What are the extra costs?
If you have been experiencing pain, your doctor may want to run a series of tests before they perform any treatment. These can include bloodwork and an EKG or urine test that will determine if kidney stones are causing the problem instead of being caused by a hernia.
The doctor will prescribe pain relievers to help with any discomfort after the surgery. These prescriptions are only temporary until your body settles into its new normal, though.
It is highly recommended that you have follow-up visits to check the progress of your surgery. This will come with an additional charge but can help with any questions or concerns about how things are going.
Important things to consider
The diagnosis of a hernia is most often made even by the patient who notices a left/right asymmetry and an inguinal swelling that disappears when the patient lies in bed or when the bulge is pushed into the abdominal cavity but reappears when mobilized.
The surgeon must confirm the diagnosis following a clinical examination. While the patient is standing, the surgeon examines the groin area and asks the person to cough. The cough increases the pressure in the abdominal cavity. If the patient has an inguinal hernia, the cough will cause the hernia to swell outward.
Signs and symptoms of strangulated inguinal hernia are nausea, vomiting or both, fever, sudden pain that intensifies rapidly, the prominence (swelling) changes color to red, purple, or black, constipation.
How can I save money?
There are a few essential things that you should do before trying to find the best prices for your surgery. It would help if you did your own research and call around hospitals, but also look at outpatient centers because they could save even more money in the total cost of care.
If you can’t afford to pay the whole cost yourself, try and find a health insurance plan that covers at least half.
In most cases, hospitals offer discounts for paying upfront or meeting income requirements. Ask the hospital’s finance department if you can take advantage of these savings.
It is often easier to find affordable hernia surgeries when looking overseas.
You guys need a welfare state. There must be so many people walking around with pain and risk of complications because they can’t afford this. I just had this done for ~60 bucks here i Norway.