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Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), namely Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, are relatively rare diseases in our country, known as a low prevalence geographic region. IBD are a multidisciplinary problem, that implies gastroenterologists, as well as surgeons. Surgical management in inflammatory bowel disease is often impaired by a high complication rate and a significant recurrence rate, specific mostly for Crohn’s disease. Indications for surgery include failure of medical therapy (including delayed puberty for young patients and drug intolerance), toxic megacolon, bowel perforation, obstruction, enteric fistula and abdominal or perianal abscess. Advances in medical treatment options for IBD are continuously accumulating. However, a large number of patients still require surgical procedures during lifetime.

Inguinal hernia repair is one of the most commonly performed surgical activities worldwide. Given the circumstances, understanding and identifying the risk and the protective factors is an essential step in order to prevent, diagnose and treat such a common condition. For a long time, obesity was generally considered to be a risk factor in the occurrence of an inguinal hernia. Studies have provided some unexpected data, suggesting that it might actually be a protective factor. This review aims to provide an overview on this topic, taking into account systemic aspects such as collagen distribution and metabolism. In inguinal hernia patients, the ratio between type I collagen and type III collagen is decreased, with type III collagen being responsible for the weakness of the abdominal wall. In obese patients, the extracellular matrix becomes richer in collagen, especially type I collagen, which will generate strength and stiffness. Obesity seems to be a protective factor indeed, but in order to understand the underlying mechanism and to choose the optimal surgical approach, further research is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]