Inguinal hernia refers to an extraperitoneal hernia occurring in the inguinal region. The etiology of inguinal hernia is not completely clear, but is related to gender, age and family history. According to the anatomy of hernia, there are indirect hernia, direct hernia, femoral hernia, composite hernia and peripheral femoral hernia. According to the content of the hernia sac, it is divided into reducible hernia, irreducible hernia, incarcerated hernia and strangulated hernia. There are also several special types of hernia. Typical inguinal hernia can be diagnosed by medical history, symptoms and physical examination. If the diagnosis is unclear or difficult, the imaging examination can assist the establishment of diagnosis. Only through surgery, inguinal hernia in adult patients could heal. The following requirements should be fulfilled: (1) The surgeons need to acquire accreditation of medical residency and should have corresponding surgical training; (2) The qualification of laparoscopic surgeons require the completion of basic laparoscopic training and hernia fellowship training as well as passing relative examinations; (3) Training of hernia and abdominal wall surgeons should be completed in centers with corresponding qualifications; (4) Preoperative education should be provided to patients and/or their families, emphasizing the communication with patients before surgery and indicating the operation principle and measures, whether mesh should be used, and informed consent should be given. Hernia repair materials are mainly non-absorbable inert mesh. Surgery could be divided into two types: open and laparoscopic surgery, including tissue suture repair, repair with materials, total extraperitoneal repair (TEP) and trans-abdominal preperitoneal repair (TAPP) , etc. Combined with the clinical practice in China, we completed the "Guideline for Diagnosis and Treatment of Adult Groin Hernia (2018 edition) " on the basis of the previous edition of the guideline. The relevant medical institutions and peers in China are requested to carry out this guideline according to actual clinical reference.

Groin hernia; Classification; Diagnosis; Surgical treatment; Laparoscopy; Guideline