A bulge and discomfort near your groin? We asked COKU at Nishinomiya Keiaikai Hospital about inguinal hernias [Nishitsu Ad]

Out of the blue, but do you have a little bulge near the top of your thigh?

The top of your thigh is here↓

This area is called the “groin”, and apparently quite a fair number of people have a little bulge there. In Japanese kanji, it’s written as 鼠径部

Just above the top of the thigh. When a round swelling appears here, it’s called an “inguinal (groin) hernia”. Apparently, 27% of men develop one at some point in their lives, so many men over 50 may have an idea what this is. (For women, it’s 3%)

When I looked it up online, it seems that leaving this untreated isn’t a very good idea. Now I’m curious and want to know more～～～

Oh, there’s a hospital past the Gate Building at Nishinomiya Gardens, isn’t there～～～!! Did everyone know about this～??

It says Nishinomiya Keiaikai Hospital. Come to think of it, I feel like it’s been there for a while…

Here it is on the map↓

The address is 7-5 Fukazucho, Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture.

When I went inside the entrance,

it says Nishinomiya Keiaikai Hospital COKU(Koku).

Official website↓

Treatment for inguinal hernias

Isn’t this a super-specialized hospital～～!

*Normally, everyone inside the hospital wears a mask. They removed them specially for this interview～

Keiaikai Hospital itself has been a long-term care hospital since 2012, and COKU is a hospital facility that just opened in December 2023 as a surgical specialty center for inguinal hernias and related conditions.

Oh, right.

Some of you may have seen this flyer～

So, since we’re curious about that bulge near the top of the thigh, let’s ask a specialist doctor all about it～.

We spoke with Dr. Otsuka, chief director of COKU at Nishinomiya Keiaikai Hospital～.

*This bulge on Shachomi is just for show and is not real

A very basic question: what is an inguinal hernia?

An inguinal hernia is a condition where contents from the abdominal cavity protrude through a hole in the abdominal wall. Mainly, abdominal fat or intestine may come out.

What! Is this actually intestine?!

Having your intestine come out sounds painful. What are the symptoms like?

Many people have no symptoms, or only mild discomfort or a sense of swelling. However, it can also become a serious condition where the intestine gets trapped(incarceration), and in that case, emergency treatment is needed.

So leaving it alone really is bad… What causes an inguinal hernia?

As people get older, various parts of the body become weaker. In the case of men, there is a part of the abdomen that is naturally weak, and that area can make them more prone to developing an inguinal hernia. In fact, about 85% of people who develop inguinal hernias are men.

Um, I’m only cross-dressing, and I’m actually male. Does that mean I’m more likely to get an inguinal hernia too?

Yes. Unfortunately, you’re exactly the same as other men in that respect.

How do you treat an inguinal hernia?