Standing in Surgery — 72yo Man | General Surgery | SMLE Q#3584
SMLE Question #3584
Surgery
General Surgery
Objective: OBJ-TRACH-EMERG-01
Last updated: February 2026
A 72-year-old man has a 1-year history of a left groin swelling that enlarges with standing and coughing and fully reduces when supine. He has intermittent discomfort but no vomiting, abdominal distension, severe pain, or irreducibility. Examination shows a reducible left inguinal mass above and medial to the pubic tubercle with a cough impulse and no signs of obstruction or strangulation. He has well-controlled hypertension and severe COPD with poor exercise tolerance, making general anesthesia high risk. What is the most appropriate definitive management for this patient’s hernia?
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