The most common forms of groin surgery are for hernia repair, as well as repair of groin muscle damage. Apart from the potential dangers that apply to all surgeries, such as anesthesia, groin surgery presents its own unique side effects that can infringe on a patient's ability to achieve daily tasks.
Urinary Retention
A common problem associated with groin surgery is the inability to pass urine for a number of hours following the procedure. Usually, the ability to pass urine returns within a few hours of the procedure, but this is not always the case. If the problems passing urine continue for a prolonged period, a catheter is sometimes inserted into the urethra and left in place overnight.
Nerve Entrapment
In groin surgery for hernia repair, it is possible for nerves to become trapped; two small nerves called ilionguinal and genitotenonal are the most commonly entrapped, causing pain in the groin and scrotum. These nerves are positioned near to the spermatic cord and blood vessels within the groin and can easily become trapped in surgery. Hypersensitivity of the groin, scrotum and upper thigh can be caused by surgical injury to the genitofemoral nerve--which in extreme cases can lead to sexual issues such as problems with ejaculation.
Numbness
Numbness can affect the body in different areas depending on which nerves were damaged or deliberately cut during surgery. Numbness is a long term problem associated with groin surgery and usually affects areas around the lower abdomen. A nerve in the inguinal region is often cut during surgery in an attempt to prevent problems caused by chronic pain associated with the inguinal region; this is usually the cause of post-op numbness.
Chronic Pain
The most common causes of post-op pain in groin surgery are damage to nerves, usually the ilionguinal nerve in the inguinal region and nerves entrapped in scar tissue caused by surgery. It is possible to suffer from benign nerve tumors and problems associated with damage to tissue around the area operated on. Problems can also be caused from a few hours to many months after surgery by infection.
Sexual Dysfunction
Pain associated with the groin often causes problems with sexual activity, pain after groin surgery is often minimal and can be reduced with pain relievers. Some men, however, have reported sexual problems such as painful erections and pain during ejaculation.
