What is a Sports Hernia?

That is a great question. Because many surgeons who treat this condition do not agree on the exact definition, or what fits into the “sports hernia” designation. I recently attended the annual Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons in San Francisco in October of 2019. The clinical congress is the largest meeting of surgeons and experts in the fields of gastro-intestinal and hernia surgery in America every year. Surgeons from around the globe attend to present research, new techniques, new tools and technology, and discuss the most up to date approaches to surgical disease treatment.

I attended a very interactive and revealing 1.5 hour panel discussion on Sports Hernia definition, diagnosis, and treatment. It was very interesting that the three surgeons chosen as experts on the subject at the panel table did not even have the same approach to the surgical treatment of Sports Hernias. I was reassured however, that my own surgical treatment of sports hernia was in line with the consensus of the panel and was almost exactly the same as one of the panelists. In my practice, I have treated sports hernia type presentations even before the term was coined.

I have enjoyed excellent outcomes with satisfied patients with a very specific repair for most Sports Hernias, but it’s always good to continue to learn and listen to the experience of others. You can read about my take-away points from the panel discussion and my own experience regarding the definition, diagnosis and treatment on my new page about Sports Hernia.