Kym Marsh says she is 'okay' following her hernia surgery
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The 45-year-old actress, who shot to fame initially in the band Hear’Say first joined Coronation Street in 2006. Since then, she has appeared in numerous reality shows, is a regular host of the BBC’s Morning Live, and from 2022 is set to star in the revival of Waterloo Road. But away from acting, Marsh appeared on a 2021 episode of Morning Live giving an update on her recovery from hernia surgery. Hitting some “complications” following the surgery, the actress was under strict instructions to stay in bed, something which she said was “horrendous”.
“What I had originally was diagnosed as inguinal hernia which they said can be caused by sport and obviously I train quite a lot,” Marsh explained to co-host Gethin Jones.
“And then when they went in and had a look they found what they call a femoral hernia, which is slightly less common.
“It is more common in women apparently, women that have had children.”
The NHS explains that hernias occur when an internal part of the body pushes through a weakness in the muscle or surrounding tissue wall. When this occurs, individuals may notice a swelling or lump in the tummy or groin.
Usually developing in the chest or hips, in many cases a hernia causes little to no symptoms, and the lump can usually be “pushed back in” when lying down.
There are various types of hernia, most of which occur when fatty tissue or part of your bowel pokes through into your groin at the top of your inner thigh. But, most of them tend to affect specific individuals. For example, an inguinal hernia tends to affect men, and is often associated with ageing and repeated strain on the tummy.
Whereas a femoral hernia is much more common in women, although also being associated with ageing and strain on the tummy.
The other two main types of hernia include an umbilical hernia, which occurs mainly in babies if the opening in the tummy that the umbilical cord passes through does not seal properly after birth. And a hiatus hernia.
A hiatus hernia is slightly different to the above, as it occurs when part of the stomach pushes up into your chest by squeezing through an opening in the diaphragm, the thin sheet of muscle that separates the chest from the tummy. Although it is not entirely clear why these types of hernia develop, it may be as a result of the diaphragm becoming weak with age.
“I ended up having to stay overnight because I hit a few complications but I am ok, I am doing alright. I am a bit sore,” Marsh continued to say about her ordeal.
“It is really painful and weirdly, because I had it done [by] keyhole [surgery], the pain I am getting, more than anything, is from where they have gone in with the instrument rather than the actual groin area.”
Having had the surgery in January 2021, by March, the actress was still in considerable pain. Having had a “few infections” the star’s recovery process turned out to be longer than expected.
Writing in her column she explained: “Since my recent hernia operation, I’m back at work on Morning Live. But it’s been a slow recovery.
“The operation itself was a success, but I’ve suffered a few infections since and it’s set me back. I’m hoping to speak to a physio who specialises in post-hernia operations as I really want to get back to exercising again.”
She added: “I feel like my body has changed. I can only control so much with my diet and I’m losing my muscle definition.
“It’s really difficult having to sit and do nothing, it’s horrendous. One of the problems of having a hernia is it’s really restrictive and stops you doing exercise you want to do.
“I exercise for my mental health as well as my physical health, so I’m hoping I can get some routine back in my life soon.”
Once diagnosed with a hernia, medical professionals will look at a number of factors to decide whether surgery is appropriate or not. In some cases, the risks of surgery outweigh the potential benefits.
If surgery is recommended, there are two main ways in which surgery can be carried out:
- Open surgery – where a cut is made to allow the surgeon to push the lump back into the tummy
- Keyhole (laparoscopic) surgery – this is a less invasive, but more difficult, technique where several smaller cuts are made, allowing the surgeon to use various special instruments to repair the hernia.
Individuals should always visit their nearest A&E straight away if they develop any of the following symptoms:
- Sudden, severe pain
- Being sick
- Difficulty pooing or passing wind
- The hernia becomes firm or tender, or cannot be pushed back in.
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