My 25 year old son has what seems to be a hernia in his upper groin, right side , just below abdomen. He had a double hernia operation at about 6 months and was 1 month premature. He has been a very healthy kid and young adult but could this new hernia be related to the earlier weakness?

It is difficult to determine it's relationship to prior hernias without an examination. That being said, virtually all inguinal hernias occur within an defined anatomic region of the groin called the Myopectineal Orifice (MPO). Hernias in infants generally occur within thearea of the MPO called the internal ring and are most often congenital or Indirect Hernias. Conversely, after proper repair of these infant hernias, subsequent hernias in the inguinal area, which can occur at any time in life thereafter, are more commonly Direct or acquired hernias.

Repeat surgical repair, with the intention of complete reinforcement of the entire MPO (such as with a Tension Free Technique recommend by NPHI) will not only repair this 'new/ and/or recurrent' hernia, but will effectively prevent another recurrence elsewhere within the region.