Dr Harsh Shah
MS, MCh (Surgical Gastroenterology), DrNB (Surgical Gastroenterology)
Registered with Gujarat Medical Council, Reg. No. G-38738
Robotic Hernia Surgeon · Apollo Hospital, Bhat, Gandhinagar · Gota OPD, Ahmedabad
In short
A few days after a hernia repair, many people touch the skin near the scar and find it feels dull, tingly or numb. It is a common worry. In most cases it is part of normal healing.
This page is about numbness. Pain that lasts for months is a different problem, covered on its own page.
Tiny nerves run through the belly wall and the groin. They carry feeling from the skin. During a repair some of these nerves are stretched, pressed or cut. The skin they serve then feels numb.
Swelling around the repair can press on nerves too. As the swelling goes down, feeling often returns.
Where numbness shows and how it usually behaves
| Area | Most often after | Usual course |
|---|---|---|
| Skin just below the scar | Open groin repair | Shrinks over weeks to months |
| Inner thigh, scrotum or labia | Groin repair, open or keyhole | Usually improves over a few months |
| Outer front of the thigh | Keyhole or robotic groin repair | Uncommon, usually settles |
| Around a belly scar | Repair of a navel or belly hernia | Slowly gets smaller |
| Small spots near the small cuts | Keyhole or robotic repair | Fades within weeks |
Worried about a numb patch after your repair? Send a WhatsApp with the date of surgery and where the numbness is.
Most numbness gets better slowly. Many people notice the numb patch shrinking over the first few weeks. Full recovery can take several months.
In some people a small patch stays numb for good. It rarely causes any trouble in daily life. It is most often a small area just below a groin scar.
Signs that need a check
Call the clinic if you notice any of these. Bring the date of surgery and a note of when the change started.
Numbness can follow open, keyhole or robotic repair. With keyhole and robotic surgery the mesh is placed from inside. The cut through the skin is small, so numb skin near the scar tends to be less. The surgeon takes care to avoid known nerves in every approach.
Yes. A numb or tingly patch of skin near the cut is common. It comes from small skin nerves that are stretched or cut during the repair.
Most numbness slowly gets better over a few weeks to a few months. A small patch may stay longer but rarely causes trouble.
The nerves that give feeling to the inner thigh and the scrotum or labia run close to a groin hernia. Handling them can leave this skin numb for a while.
Numbness means a skin nerve is not passing signals well for now. In most people it recovers. Burning pain that does not settle is a different problem.
See a doctor if numbness spreads, your leg feels weak, or the numb area becomes burning and painful.
The main page on this site is robotic hernia surgery in Ahmedabad. These cover the neighbouring questions.
Where to find us
Dr Harsh Shah, MS, MCh (Surgical Gastroenterology), DrNB (Surgical Gastroenterology)
Shah's Gastro, Cancer & Robotic Surgery Centre
Apollo Hospital, Bhat, Gandhinagar
Gota OPD, Ahmedabad
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