How Much Does Inguinal Hernia Surgery Cost?


Written by:  Howmuchisit.org Staff

An inguinal hernia, also known as a groin hernia, will occur when the tissue pushes through a weak spot inside of your groin muscle.  This, in turn, causes a bulge in the groin or labia, causing either a burning-like sensation or no pain at all.  About 70 percent of hernias that occur will be in the groin.

If you were to experience a hernia, they do not go away on its own, and only surgery will be able to repair it.  While some can delay the surgery, the hernia will get bigger as the muscle wall of the belly gets weaker and more tissue will bulge through.  Most doctors, according to Cigna, will recommend this surgery because it can prevent serious problems in the future.

g’ma in hospital by dreamingofariz, on Flickr
g’ma in hospital” (CC BY 2.0) by dreamingofariz

How much does inguinal hernia surgery cost?

The average cost of an inguinal hernia surgery will depend on where you live, your surgeon and the type of surgery you need.  An open hernia surgery, which tends to be the most popular of the two surgical options, can cost $4,000 to $7,500 without any sort of insurance policies.  However, if you did have a health insurance policy, then you would be responsible for your co-pays and/or deductibles.  Since all insurance policies greatly vary, it’s best to talk with your insurance company to see what’s going to be covered.  According to our research, those with a health insurance policy often find themselves paying $650 to $1,200 after insurance kicked in.

A laparoscopic hernia surgery, which occurs in the abdomen, not the groin, can be a pinch more, often costing $4,000 to $10,000 without any insurance; however, again, if you were to have a policy, those who have had the surgery reported paying $700 to $2,000 after insurance kicked in.

In some cases, a doctor will delay the surgery if you’re not experiencing any pain or discomfort.  If this were the case, a doctor may recommend a hernia truss, which helps “push” the bulging organ back inside the body.  A hernia support, on average, can be about $20 to $100.

In the end, most health insurance companies will pay for this surgical procedure as long as it’s deemed medically necessary, which may mean you have to provide proof you’re experiencing pain and/or discomfort.

California Hernia Specialists, for instance, says the costs for their patients who don’t have insurance will pay about $1,500 for the surgeon fees, $2,000 for the surgery center fees and another $485 for the anesthesiologist fee, bringing the total to $3,985 for an open hernia procedure.

New Choice Health says the average laparoscopic surgery can cost $1,650 to $4,600, while the average open hernia repair can cost $3,700 to $10,200.

Amino had found the average cost for a hernia surgery was $7,743.

Factors that affect the price

Where you live

With almost anything in life, where you live can greatly affect the price.  For example, if you resided in an urban area, you would have much more in terms of options when compared to a rural area with maybe one doctor.

Your insurance

If you have insurance, your network rate can affect the costs as all insurance providers will vary.

Procedure

What happens during your procedure can affect the price.  For example, if you need anesthesia longer than usual could change the costs.  If an emergency were to arise and you needed an emergency procedure and ambulance ride, then you would pay much more than someone who scheduled the surgery ahead of time.

Inguinal hernia surgery overview

There are two types of surgeries when repairing a hernia:  an open hernia or laparoscopic hernia repair.  An open hernia repair surgery will be repaired through an incision created in the groin.  This surgery has said to be very effective and has been done for many years.  A laparoscopic hernia repair, commonly done in adults, will be the process where a surgeon inserts a thin, lighted scope through a smaller incision inside the belly while you’re under a general anesthesia.  Tools will then be inserted through these incisions to repair a hernia.  Both of these surgeries will take one to two hours to perform.

After the surgery, an overnight stay at the hospital may be recommended, but in most cases, you should expect to spend most of the day at an outpatient center.  During the recovery period, the center will observe your blood pressure, pulse and breathing before giving you the go-ahead to go home.  Depending on your circumstances and the surgery, the recovery period can take up to four weeks before you can take part in strenuous activities again.

What are the extra costs?

Before any treatment is considered, your doctor will first want to run a series of tests such as a physical exam, bloodwork, EKG and/or a urine test.  A urine test, for example, can determine if kidney stones are causing the pain, not a hernia.  These tests, in general, will be carried out, depending on your circumstances, to determine if a hernia is, indeed, the problem at bay.

Pain relievers and other prescriptions will be prescribed after the surgery for the next few weeks.

Follow-up visits will be required to check the progress of the surgery, and depending on your doctor, this may be billed as an additional charge.

Tips to know:

Hernia patients will encounter symptoms such as a bulging in the groin area, swelling, sensitivity, pain, discomfort or vomiting.

Risks, according to WebMD, may include the risks of general anesthesia, pain in the testicles, scar tissue formation, injury to the belly organs, numbness/pain or recurrence of a hernia.

How can I save money?

Try your best to have your health insurance cover the entire expense for the surgery.  If not, at least they will able to shoulder half of it.  If you do not have a health insurance policy, it is strongly suggested that you look at eHealthInsurance.com and find a plan suitable for you or your family.

Do your research and call a few hospitals to see what they charge.  While they won’t be able to give you an exact figure, it could help determine who can offer the best in terms of value.  Aside from the hospitals, consider looking at outpatient centers to save even more.

Most hospitals will provide a discount if you pay upfront in cash or even meet income requirements. Talk with the hospital’s finance department to see if you can take advantage of these discounts.

Affordable hernia surgeries, while you should do so at your own risk, can often be found overseas.


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Average Reported Cost: $25243.75

100 %
0 %
Less Expensive $1 $1.5K $3K $5K $6.5K More Expensive $8k

How much did you spend?

Was it worth it?  

  1. Ron (Denver,  Colorado) paid $3500 and said:

    Doctor found a second hernia during my repair. Originally was $2,000 quote but was charged $3,500. Went great!

    Was it worth it? Yes

  2. Lisa (Detroit,  Michigan) paid $800 and said:

    Didn’t require surgery since hernia was so small so doctor recommended a mesh. He put in a few stitches and required few days off work. This was price I paid after my insurance kicked in. Originally quoted $5K for a mesh!

    Was it worth it? Yes

  3. Nicole (Los Angeles,  California) paid $28000 and said:

    Seriously! Must be the highest paid price in the world.

    Was it worth it? Yes

  4. Pete (Phoenix,  Arizona) paid $22500 and said:

    Total was close to $23,000 but Blue Cross kicked in and paid about $4,000. This was for facility, anesthesiologist and surgeon fee.

    Was it worth it? Yes

  5. Chris (Mt. Vernon,  Washington) paid $34500 and said:

    Asked for quote did not get one from hospital but got one surgeon for 1050.00.Hospital charged me 31,000.00 totally outrages.National average only around 6000.00 for everything.

    Was it worth it? Yes

  6. J (Pasadena,  California) paid $650 and said:

    Had robotic laparoscopic hernia mesh put in for direct inguinal hernia. Bill from hospital was around $25,000 after all insurance adjustments paid $650 out of pocket. So far was very worth it did not realize how was effecting overall health until had it fixed.

    Was it worth it? Yes

  7. Jack Bocanegra (Tampa,  Florida) paid $4000 and said:

    Paid $4,000 for non-mesh hernia surgery.

    Was it worth it? Yes

  8. Bobby H. (bell,  Florida) paid $108000 and said:

    Done in north Florida regional and was told it was a routine procedure. Stayed overnight with no medicine. Does not include surgeons fee. Have Humana for insurance.

    Was it worth it? Yes

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