A 38-year-old man from Mumbai presents to the emergency department with acute onset severe pain in the right groin for 4 hours. On examination, there is a firm, tender, irreducible swelling in the right groin above the medial aspect of the inguinal ligament. The skin over the swelling is erythematous. The patient is febrile (38.5°C) and reports nausea. What is the most appropriate immediate next step in management?