Earliest Operative Methods of Groin Hernia: A Journey from Ancient to Medieval Age

Hernia is a disease in which there is a protrusion of the viscus or part of the viscus through the walls that contain it. Today, there are many advanced operative procedures for hernia repair with the principle of reducing the hernia sac back into the abdominal cavity first then strengthening the posterior wall of the inguinal canal with or without mesh implants. These procedures have been developed during the course of time with vast research and experimentations by surgeons of different time periods. Aim of this review is to find answers to various questions like how was hernia managed in ancient times, how management methods travelled from one society to another and how those methods evolved from time to time, and how those methods became principles for advanced hernia operations.