A patient reads the medical literature.

A 45-year-old male with no significant past medical history presented with a lump in his right groin. Outpatient computed tomography imaging ordered by his primary care physician demonstrated moderate right inguinal hernia containing nonobstructed distal descending/proximal sigmoid colon. Surgical repair of the hernia was recommended and the patient was referred for consultation with a general surgeon. The patient then conducted a search of current medical literature and, upon reflection, refused to let the consulted surgeon operate upon him. After identifying a significantly more experienced surgeon, the patient underwent office consultation and, later, uneventful surgical repair of his inguinal hernia. To follow is a case description with a review of the relevant literature read by the patient that informed his decision to be operated upon only by a more senior general surgeon.