Hernia occurs when an organ or fatty tissue protrudes through a weak spot of the wall of the muscle where it normally resides. I Hernia can occur in the umbilicus, groin, at the site of a previous abdominal incision, etc.
Hernia surgery becomes necessary in cases of incarceration or if the hernia becomes strangulated. An incarcerated hernia occurs when the tissues that are herniated get trapped and cannot be moved back into their original place. When blood supply to the herniating tissue is compromised, it can lead to strangulated hernias.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF HERNIA?
- Inguinal Hernia
- Femoral hernia
- Umbilical Hernia
- Hiatal Hernia
- Incisional Hernia
- Obturator Hernia
- Umbilical Hernia
SYMPTOMS
Some of the common symptoms of hernia include a bulge in the abdomen or groin area that is noticeable and can be pushed back in, but may not be visible when lying down. Pressure in the abdomen, such as from coughing, laughing, straining during a bowel movement, or lifting weights, causes the lump to appear. Swelling in the scrotum or groin, pain when lifting heavy objects, increase in the size of the lump, etc are other symptoms
TREATMENT
The treatment for hernias is surgery. The two ways of performing hernia surgery are open hernia repair and laparoscopic hernia repair.
Open Hernia Repair
Open hernia repair is performed by making a large incision at the hernia site, pushing the hernia back into the abdomen, and placing a mesh at the weak spot to strengthen the abdominal muscles. This prevents the hernia from reoccurring.
Laparoscopic Hernia Repair
Laparoscopic hernia repair, on the other hand, is performed with the use of a thin instrument called a laparoscope. This is inserted through a small incision of just 1 cm. The surgeon views the abdominal contents through a camera placed at the tip of the laparoscope, which projects the internal contents onto a video monitor. The benefit of this method is that only 2–3 very small incisions are made, rather than a long incision as in open surgery. Thus, only three tiny scars are produced, which also aids in reduced hospital stays, quicker recovery times, and a faster return to work.
