In any given year, there are about 5,000,000 Americans with hernias, and less than 1 million seek treatment.

A hernia is the protusion of an organ or tissue through an abnormal opening of the body - most occur when a piece of intestine slips through a weakness in the abdominal wall. This creates a bulge you can see and feel.

A hernia will not go away on its own. But because until now, the only option has been surgery, many people are reluctant to seek treatment - fearing a long, painful surgery and recovery.