Introductory Chapter: Hernia Surgery and the Developing World

Hernias are as old as history of mankind. The history of hernia dates back to 400 BC when Ancient Greeks diagnosed and proposed various modes of treatment. The word hernia has its origin from the Greek word hernios, a bud or a shoot. Despite the fact that the common course of the hernia was not sudden and the progress was typically slow, it eventually grows to an enormous size at times and could make the life of the patient difficult as far as the routine work was concerned. This coupled with an impending danger of complications made it mandatory for the physicians to find out some remedy.