Femoral hernia in Ilesa, Nigeria.

A prospective study was carried out at Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesa, Nigeria between 1977 and 1981 on femoral hernia with the following objectives: (a) to determine the incidence of femoral hernia in our hospital; (b) to study the clinical presentation of our patients with particular emphasis on strangulation and to compare these findings with those reported in the caucasian population; and (c) to assess the efficacy of the two commonly used surgical therapeutic measures adopted in the management of this condition. Our findings were: (a) the incidence of femoral hernia in our hospital was 12 per 1,000,000; (b) the peak age distribution was in the 40-60 years age groups. Males were more afflicted than females. Eighty point three percent of our patients had simple femoral hernia, and the prevalence of strangulation in our series was 5.9 percent; (c) no statistically significant difference was noted in the use of either the low or high femoral herniorrhaphy in the treatment of this condition. The main contraindication to the use of the low approach are strangulated femoral hernia, and where a femoral hernia exists with an ipsilateral inguinal hernia.