Femoral hernia intestinal obstruction. A strangulated femoral hernia occurs when a constriction of the hernia limits or completely obstructs blood supply to part of the bowel involved in the hernia. Strangulation can occur in all hernias, but is more common in femoral and inguinal hernias due to their narrow "weaknesses" in the abdominal wall. Nausea, vomiting, and severe abdominal pain are characteristics of a strangulated hernia. This is a medical emergency as the loss of blood supply to the bowel can result in necrosis (tissue death) followed by gangrene (tissue decay). This is a life-threatening condition requiring immediate surgery. The term incarcerated
Inguinal canal Inguinal canal The inguinal canals are the two passages in the anterior abdominal wall which in males convey the spermatic cords and in females the round ligament of uterus. The inguinal canals are larger and more prominent in males. There is one inguinal canal on each side of the midline. The inguinal canals are situated just above the medial half of the inguinal ligament. In both sexes the canals transmit the ilioinguinal nerves. The canals are approximately 3.75 to 4 cm long. , angled anteroinferiorly and medially. A first-order approximation is to visualize each canal as a cylinder. To help