A family member has a new inguinal hernia. It's not super painful, but there's a bulge about the size of half an egg cut longways, which gets bigger when he coughs or anything, but then goes back down to egg-sized. It also gets sore when he does too much walking or gets constipated. He's only had this hernia 2-3 weeks. It hurt much more at first, and never been nearly as painful as when it first happened, but he has some pain a few times a day, but its not really bad.
A trusted gastroenterologist said surgery was the only option, and from what we've read online that seems true. He recommended a general surgeon who specializes in abdominal surgeries. The surgeon said the surgery needed to be done, although it's still considered elective. He said he could wait, but at risk of the hernia enlarging and causing strangulation at some point. Basically it's not an emergency, but something that'll need to be taken care of, and that could turn into an emergency later. So right now he's scheduled the surgery for next week, because it works out with his job at this time to have it done.
The surgeon does the Lichtenstein mesh method. It's not the bilayer mesh method, but from what we understand, the overlaying mesh method that uses staples or sutures to attach the mesh.
We've been researching on the internet, and I've gotten really frightened by all the bad complications by hernia surgeries, mesh complications, mesh recalls, etc. So at this point we don't know what to do.
Also, he's only in his 30s, and still wants to have kids someday, and we've read stories of infertility resulting from inguinal hernia repair. Any advice/input/experiences?