Keyhole or open, your hernia surgeon matches the repair to your hernia and health
Dr Daniel Lee, FRCS (Edinburgh), is a former Head of Colorectal Surgery at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.
A weak spot in the muscle wall, and a bulge you can often feel.
A hernia happens when soft tissue, often part of the gut (bowel), pushes through a weakened area of the muscle wall. The result is usually a bulge that is easier to see or feel when you stand, cough or strain, and that may settle when you lie down.
It is a common problem, and there is nothing to feel awkward about. What matters is understanding which type you have, and whether it should be repaired now or watched. That is the first question a hernia doctor works through with you at consultation.
Groin lump (inguinal hernia)
The most common type, in the groin. More frequent in men, and often more noticeable when standing, coughing or lifting.
Surgery for a groin lump (inguinal hernia surgery) →Belly button bulge (umbilical hernia)
A bulge at or near the navel. Common in adults after pregnancy or with weight gain, and sometimes present from childhood.
Surgery for a belly button bulge (umbilical hernia surgery) →Bulge at an old scar (incisional hernia)
A bulge through the site of a previous surgical scar, where the healed muscle wall has stayed weak.
Repair of a bulge at an old scar (incisional hernia repair) →Lump in the upper thigh (femoral hernia)
Lower in the groin or upper thigh, more common in women, and worth assessing promptly because it can be more prone to complications.
Why a lump in the upper thigh (femoral hernia) is checked sooner →When a hernia should be looked at, and when it cannot wait.
Many hernias cause a bulge with some aching or dragging discomfort, which is worth assessing before it grows. A hernia does not repair itself, and it tends to enlarge with time, so an early consultation with a hernia surgeon gives you more options and a clearer plan.
- A lump in the groin, or a bulge in the tummy (abdomen) or near a previous scar
- Aching, heaviness or discomfort when standing or lifting
- A lump that becomes more obvious through the day
- Discomfort that is starting to limit work or activity
When a hernia is an emergency.
Rarely, a hernia can become trapped and lose its blood supply (strangulation). If a hernia becomes suddenly very painful, firm and tender, will not push back in, or comes with nausea, vomiting or skin that looks red or discoloured, do not wait. Go straight to the nearest A&E or contact us immediately.
Waiting carries a cost of its own. A planned repair is often done as day surgery. The same hernia repaired as an emergency usually needs a hospital stay, and the bill is higher.
Keyhole hernia surgery, when it is the suitable choice.
In a keyhole (laparoscopic) repair, a few small cuts are made and a camera guides the surgery. The weakened muscle wall is strengthened, usually with a soft mesh that lowers the chance of the hernia returning.
Keyhole repair is often associated with less discomfort and a quicker return to light activity than open surgery. It is not right for every hernia, so Dr Lee will recommend keyhole or open repair based on your hernia, your health and your history, and explain why before anything is decided.
- Groin, belly button, scar and upper thigh hernias (inguinal, umbilical, incisional and femoral)
- Open or minimally invasive keyhole technique
- Soft mesh reinforcement where appropriate
- Day surgery for suitable cases
The right plan depends on you, not just the hernia.
The plan for someone in their thirties who wants to get back to training is not the same as for an older parent. Dr Lee repairs hernias across that range. As former Surgical Lead for Geriatric Surgery at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, he built assessment and recovery pathways for older patients and co-authored a 2024 review in the Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery on surgeon-led care in older patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery.
For a younger patient, the discussion includes repair options and when work, sport and lifting can be resumed. For an older parent it means checking they are fit for the sleep or numbing medicine (anaesthesia) first, then an honest conversation about repairing now or watching and waiting. More about Dr Lee's background and approach.
A recovery that is planned, not left to chance.
Day 0: home the same day
Many hernia repairs are done as day surgery, whether keyhole with a camera (laparoscopic), with a robot's help (robotic-assisted) or open, so most patients go home the same day with clear aftercare instructions and a number to reach the team. Walking and light daily tasks can start straight away. A study at one local hospital found a rising share of patients going home within a day of keyhole repair for a lump in the groin, from 78% in 2019 to 99% in 2021.
1 to 2 weeks: desk work and driving
Most people are back at a desk job and driving within one to two weeks, and everyday lifting, such as shopping bags, is usually comfortable by then. Drive only once you can make an emergency stop without pain and are no longer taking medicine that makes you drowsy.
4 to 6 weeks: exercise and sport
Over these weeks you can build back up to gym work, running and sport, starting light and letting comfort set the pace.
3 months: heavy lifting
By around three months, most people are back to all their usual activities, including heavy lifting and strenuous work. Pain that is still there at three months should be checked rather than put up with.
Your own timeline
These are typical times after a planned repair. Your own recovery depends on the repair, your health and your work. Dr Lee goes through it with you, including what is normal and when to call.
When a hernia comes back after repair.
Most repairs hold, but a hernia can return at the site of an earlier repair, sometimes years later. A repeat repair is usually more difficult than the first, so it is planned around the type of hernia and how it was repaired before.
Scar hernias: keyhole with a camera (laparoscopic) or a robot (robotic-assisted)
For a hernia through an old surgical scar (incisional hernia), recent studies have compared camera keyhole, robot-assisted and open repair. What they found, and how a repeat scar hernia repair is planned, is on the page on a bulge at an old scar (incisional and ventral hernia).
Lumps in the groin (groin hernias): a different route the second time
After an open repair from the front, a repeat repair is usually done from behind, often by camera keyhole or robot-assisted surgery, through tissue the first operation did not touch. After a keyhole repair, an open repair from the front is usually advised. This follows the international guidelines on hernias in the groin.
If you notice a bulge at or near the site of an earlier repair, Dr Lee can assess it and explain the options.
Clear costs, with MediSave and insurance guidance.
Hernia assessment with Dr Lee: SGD 150
Cost at a glance
The operation · hernia in one groin
Surgeon’s fee (national benchmark)
from SGD 3,924
MOH range SGD 3,924 to 6,540. Dr Lee’s own fee may sit inside or outside this range and is confirmed at consultation.
Fee for the anaesthesia doctor (anaesthetist) (national benchmark)
from SGD 1,199
MOH range SGD 1,199 to 1,744. The anaesthetist bills separately; the clinic puts the fee in your written estimate.
MediSave
can be used
For eligible hernia surgery, within limits set by MOH. The clinic confirms your eligibility and balance.
Your Integrated Shield plan
pays the approved claim
Insurance payment depends on your policy and the approved claim. MediSave may cover eligible remaining costs within its withdrawal limits.
Hospital and implant fees
quoted when you ask
Billed separately, and shown in your written estimate.
What will you pay in cash?
It depends on your insurer and plan, so the clinic works it out for you.
Leave your name and mobile, then add your insurer and plan name. No IC or policy number needed. You get the estimate in writing, before anything is booked. The estimate is information only, the decision stays yours.
Fees depend on the type of hernia, the technique and the hospital. As a public guide, the Ministry of Health publishes fee benchmarks for both the surgeon and the anaesthetist, per procedure. The figures below are those benchmarks, and each procedure code links to the MOH page it came from. Your exact fee is explained clearly at consultation, before anything is scheduled.
| Type of hernia repair | MOH surgeon fee benchmark | MOH anaesthetist fee benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Hernia in one groininguinal or femoral, SF819A | SGD 3,924 to 6,540 | SGD 1,199 to 1,744 |
| Hernias in both groinsinguinal or femoral, SF820A | SGD 6,104 to 9,810 | SGD 1,526 to 2,289 |
| Belly button or upper tummy herniaumbilical or epigastric, SF814A | SGD 3,270 to 5,341 | SGD 1,199 to 1,962 |
| Hernia at an old scar, or one that came backat a previous scar, SF823A | SGD 5,341 to 9,810 | SGD 1,199 to 1,962 |
These are published fee benchmarks, before MediSave and insurance.
Doctor fee benchmarks only. The hospital or day-surgery facility fee is charged separately, has no MOH doctor-fee benchmark, and varies by hospital and by your ward or day-surgery choice, so it is quoted to you directly.
Use what you are entitled to
Hernia repair is typically MediSave claimable, subject to the withdrawal limits set for the procedure. We help you apply it correctly.
Usually covered by your plan
Hernia surgery is usually covered under Integrated Shield Plans. We help you understand what your plan covers before anything is scheduled.
We handle the claim
The team assists with the forms and liaises with your insurer where possible, so you can focus on getting better.
Fee benchmark figures are the Ministry of Health (Singapore) surgeon and anaesthetist fee benchmarks (procedures SF819A, SF820A, SF814A, SF823A). They are national figures across Singapore providers, read on 20 August 2026. They are a public guide, not Dr Lee’s fees and not a quotation.
The plans we work with.
Dr Daniel Lee practises with Colorectal Clinic Associates (CCA). The clinic works with the insurers below, and the team assists with claims and eligibility checks.
Hernia surgery, answered plainly.
Do I need surgery, or can a hernia be left alone?
What is the difference between keyhole and open repair?
Is a mesh used, and is it safe?
I am worried about the sleep or numbing medicine (anaesthesia).
How long is the recovery?
Will MediSave or my insurance cover it?
I am arranging this for an elderly parent. Is that different?
Hernia surgery across five private hospitals.
Related conditions Dr Lee treats.
A short message is enough to begin.
Whether the consultation is for you or a family member, send a note with your name, number and what you are noticing. Dr Lee's team will reply on WhatsApp and arrange a time and location that suits you.