If you are preparing for hernia surgery, you may be wondering how much of your day the operation will actually take. Will you be in the operating room for 30 minutes or several hours? Does laparoscopic surgery take longer than open surgery? And if the operation itself is short, why might you still spend most of the day at the hospital?
*AI-generated image - for illustration only. Clinical accuracy is not guaranteed.
For many straightforward hernias, the surgery itself takes roughly 30 to 90 minutes. However, there is no single operating time for every hernia repair. A small uncomplicated inguinal or umbilical hernia can often be repaired relatively quickly, while a large recurrent incisional hernia requiring abdominal wall reconstruction may take considerably longer.
Your total time at the hospital is also longer than the actual operation because it includes preparation before surgery and recovery from anaesthesia afterward. For a broader understanding of the different operations available, you can read our guide to hernia repair.
How Long Does a Typical Hernia Repair Take?
*AI-generated image - for illustration only. Clinical accuracy is not guaranteed.
Here is a general guide:
| Type of Hernia Repair | Typical Surgical Time |
|---|---|
| Routine inguinal hernia repair | Often around 30–90 minutes |
| Routine adult umbilical hernia repair | Often around 30–60 minutes |
| Bilateral inguinal hernia repair | Usually longer than repairing one side |
| Ventral hernia repair | Varies widely according to size and complexity |
| Incisional or recurrent hernia repair | May take considerably longer if extensive scar tissue or reconstruction is involved |
| Complex abdominal wall reconstruction | Can take several hours depending on the extent of repair |
How Long Does Inguinal Hernia Surgery Take?
An uncomplicated inguinal hernia repair is usually one of the shorter hernia operations. The procedure commonly takes somewhere between 30 and 90 minutes, although the exact time depends on whether the repair is open or minimally invasive and how straightforward the hernia is.
A hospital may schedule longer than the expected operating time because the surgical team needs enough flexibility to deal safely with unexpected findings. The operation may take longer if:
- The hernia is large
- It extends into the scrotum
- Both sides need repairing
- The hernia has returned after previous surgery
- Scar tissue makes dissection more difficult
- Trapped tissue needs to be carefully released
Does Repairing Both Sides Take Longer?
*AI-generated image - for illustration only. Clinical accuracy is not guaranteed.
Yes, generally. If a patient has inguinal hernias on both sides, known as bilateral inguinal hernias, repairing both will usually take longer than repairing a single hernia.
A laparoscopic or robotic approach may allow the surgeon to repair both sides during the same operation using the same small abdominal access points. Even though the procedure is longer than a one-sided repair, treating both hernias in one operation may avoid the need for two separate surgeries and two separate anaesthetics.
How Long Does Umbilical Hernia Surgery Take?
A straightforward adult umbilical hernia repair often takes approximately 30 to 60 minutes. A small defect may be relatively quick to repair, while a larger hernia requiring mesh reinforcement or more extensive reconstruction can take longer. The operation may also require additional time if the hernia is recurrent or if scar tissue is present from previous abdominal surgery.
How Long Does Ventral Hernia Surgery Take?
There is much more variation with ventral hernia surgery. A small primary ventral hernia may be relatively straightforward. A large abdominal wall defect can be a completely different operation. The surgeon may need to:
- Release scar tissue
- Return herniated tissue to the abdomen
- Measure and close the abdominal wall defect
- Create an appropriate tissue plane for mesh
- Position and secure a large piece of mesh
- Reconstruct separated abdominal muscles
Why Can Incisional Hernia Surgery Take Longer?
An incisional hernia develops through or close to the scar from a previous abdominal operation. The previous surgery may have created internal scar tissue called adhesions, and the abdominal wall itself may already have been weakened or altered. During surgery, the surgeon may therefore need extra time to:
- Carefully separate scarred tissues
- Release adhesions
- Protect nearby intestine and other organs
- Remove or work around previous mesh where necessary
- Bring separated abdominal wall tissues together
- Place new mesh in an appropriate position
If the defect is very large, a more advanced abdominal wall reconstruction may be needed, making the surgery significantly more involved than a routine groin hernia repair.
Does Open Hernia Surgery Take Longer Than Laparoscopic Surgery?
Not necessarily. A smaller incision does not automatically mean a shorter operation. In fact, a straightforward open hernia repair can sometimes be completed faster than a minimally invasive repair.
*AI-generated image - for illustration only. Clinical accuracy is not guaranteed.
Laparoscopic surgery involves additional steps such as placing ports, creating working space with carbon dioxide, inserting a camera, and operating through specialised instruments. Robotic surgery also requires the robotic system and instruments to be positioned appropriately before the surgeon performs the repair.
However, operating time is only one part of the comparison. A minimally invasive procedure may still offer advantages in early recovery or wound healing for appropriately selected patients.
Does Robotic Hernia Surgery Take Longer?
It can. For some straightforward repairs, robotic surgery may have a longer operating time than conventional laparoscopic or open surgery because of additional setup and console-based steps. But the situation changes for complex abdominal wall surgery.
Robotic instruments can make advanced suturing and reconstruction easier to perform through small incisions. In these cases, the purpose of robotics may not be to make the operation faster—it may be to allow a more complex repair to be performed minimally invasively. So operating time alone should not determine which surgical approach is best.
Why Does One Person's Hernia Surgery Take Longer Than Another's?
Even two people with the same general type of hernia may spend very different amounts of time in surgery. Important factors include:
Size of the Hernia
A small defect is usually easier to repair than a large section of weakened abdominal wall.
First Repair or Recurrent Hernia
A recurrent hernia may involve scar tissue and altered anatomy from previous surgery, making the operation more technically demanding.
Previous Abdominal Operations
Previous surgery can create adhesions that need to be separated carefully before the hernia can be repaired.
One Hernia or Multiple Hernias
Repairing both groins or several abdominal wall defects generally requires more time than treating one small defect.
Type of Surgical Technique
Open, laparoscopic, and robotic procedures involve different surgical steps.
Need for Abdominal Wall Reconstruction
Complex ventral and incisional hernias may require muscle-release techniques and extensive mesh placement, which substantially increases the scale of the operation.
Unexpected Findings
If the surgeon discovers trapped intestine, extensive scar tissue, bleeding, or another unexpected problem, the procedure may take longer than originally estimated.
What If the Hernia Is Strangulated?
*AI-generated image - for illustration only. Clinical accuracy is not guaranteed.
An emergency hernia repair may be less predictable than planned elective surgery. A strangulated hernia occurs when trapped tissue loses its blood supply. The surgeon must release the trapped tissue and determine whether it is still healthy.
If part of the intestine has been severely damaged, the affected section may need to be removed and the healthy bowel reconnected. That turns what might otherwise have been a relatively straightforward hernia repair into a more complicated abdominal operation. The duration of emergency surgery therefore depends on what the surgeon finds.
Does a Longer Operation Mean Something Went Wrong?
Not necessarily. Surgery may take longer than expected simply because the anatomy is more complicated, scar tissue requires careful dissection, or the surgeon decides that additional reconstruction is necessary to create a stronger repair.
Surgeons generally prioritise completing the operation safely rather than trying to meet an exact predicted finishing time. If something significant or unexpected occurred during surgery, the surgical team should explain it afterward.
The Bottom Line
Most straightforward hernia operations take roughly 30 to 90 minutes, but the exact time depends heavily on the type and complexity of the hernia.
A routine inguinal or umbilical repair may take less than an hour in many cases. Bilateral, recurrent, ventral, and incisional hernias can take longer, while complex abdominal wall reconstruction may require several hours. Open, laparoscopic, and robotic surgery also have different operating steps, so the approach can influence the duration.
Most importantly, the length of the operation is not the same as the length of your hospital visit. Even after a short procedure, additional time is needed for preparation, anaesthesia, recovery, and discharge assessment. When planning your surgery day, ask your surgeon for two estimates: how long the actual repair is expected to take and how long you are likely to remain at the hospital.
