Margaret Johns, 66, is in agony with three hernias but has been waiting two years for an operation to relieve her pain. One is the size of a baby’s head, a second is the size of a melon while the third is just starting to grow.

A hernia occurs when an internal part of the body pushes through a weakness in the muscle or surrounding tissue wall. The muscles should be strong enough to keep the organs in place. They can occur anywhere in the abdomen and are very in common, especially in men.

Mrs Johns, from Swansea: ‘The ‘sizeable hernias’ make sitting down and sleeping very uncomfortable I was marked down as urgent for an operation two years ago and it was canceled. Then I had the date on May 20 this year but that was cancelled. They then gave me the date of June 9, which has now been cancelled. I use a wheelchair most of the time. You say hernias and people don’t think it is serious’.

Abertawe Bro Morgan University Health Board in Swansea apologised for the delay saying priority was given to cancer patients when she was booked in for her operation and they are trying to arrange an alternative date for surgery as quickly as possible.’