I am a 32 year-old male, and have recently been diagnosed with
bilateral inguinal hernias, right side larger than left.  Bladder
hesitancy is my most pronounced symptom, but I have also noticed a
decline in my ability to gain an erection, and the in strength of my
erections.  This is inconsistent; sometimes I have no trouble at all.
I do not suffer much pain from the hernias, though recently I do
notice a mild, dull pain in the tip of my penis at times.  My question
is quite simply, is my erection function possibly related to the
hernias?

I generally do not post to groups, because I most often find the
answers to questions I have in previous posts.  Surprisingly, answers
to this question seem to be ambiguous.  When I told my surgeon, he
said the bladder hesitancy would definitely be taken care of, but he
wasn't sure about the erections.  I will be undergoing laparoscopic
mesh repair, if this is pertinent.  The one internet post I found that
might relate most to me is the one below:

http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/links/doi/10.1111/j.1442-2042.2004.00983.x/abs/

I really appreciate any opinions, stories, or ideas related to this.
Thanks in advance.