How long should it take to recover from an inguinal hernia repair?

"weeks": Following laparoscopic repair, most people will require narcotic pain medication for 2-3 days, may return to a desk job in one week, and be back to full activities in 3 weeks. Following open repair, these times are often doubled. Of course, results may vary depending on the size of the hernia and the pain threshold of the patient.

1-3 weeks: Usually, it's 1-2 weeks after a laparoscopic repair, and 2-3 weeks after an open repair. This is of course an average, and does not consider complications.