Laparoscopic Hernia
What is a Hernia?
A hernia is a defect in the abdominal wall, in which the inside layers of the abdominal muscle have weakened resulting in a bulge or tear. In the same way that an inner tube pushes through a damaged tire, the inner lining of the abdomen pushes through the weakened area of the abdominal wall to form a small bubble or balloon-like sac. When a loop of intestine or abdominal tissue pushes into the sac, severe pain and other potentially serious complications can result.
Both men and women can get a hernia. Some hernias are present at birth (congenital), while others develop over time. A hernia does not get better over time; a hernia will not go away by itself. Hernias most commonly occur in the groin ‘inguinal hernias’, around the belly button ‘umbilical hernias’, and near the site of a previous surgical operation ‘incisional hernias’.
How do I know if I have a hernia?
Frequently, hernias are easily felt and diagnosed. You may notice a bulge under the skin. You may feel pain when you lift heavy objects, cough, strain during urination or bowel movements or during prolonged standing or sitting.
The pain may be sharp and immediate or a dull ache that gets worse toward the end of the day. Severe, continuous pain, redness and tenderness are signs that the hernia may be entrapped or strangulated.
What causes hernias?
The wall of the abdomen has natural areas of potential weakness. Hernias can develop at these or other areas due to heavy strain on the abdominal wall, aging, injury, an old incision or a weakness in the abdominal wall present at birth. Anyone can get a hernia at any age. Most hernias in children are congenital. In adults, a natural weakness or strain from heavy lifting, persistent coughing, difficulty with bowel movements or urination can cause the abdominal wall to weaken or separate, and hernias to form.
Surgical Repair (Laparoscopic Hernia)
There are two main options for hernia repair:
- Open Repair: The traditional, open repair has been the gold standard for over 100 years. There are 5-10 different approaches that are performed routinely under various types of anesthesia. Due to the larger size of the incision, open hernia repair is generally painful with a relatively long recovery period.
- Minimally Access (Laparoscopic) Repair: Minimally Access (Laparoscopic) Repair has been developed over the past decade. It is usually performed under general anesthesia but regional anesthesia is also an option in selected cases.
Benefits of Minimally Access (Laparoscopic Hernia) Repair
- Smaller scars.
- Less pain
- Shorter recover period
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Risks of Minimally Access Hernia (Laparoscopic Hernia) Surgery-
- Any operation may be associated with complications. The primary complications of any operation are bleeding and infection, which are less common with Laparoscopic Hernia repair.
- There is a slight risk of injury to the urinary bladder, the intestines, blood vessels, nerves or the sperm tube going to the testicle.
- Difficulty in passing urine and may require a catheter into the urinary bladder.
- Any time a hernia is repaired it can come back. long-term recurrence rate is not yet known. Your surgeon will help you decide if the risks of Laparoscopic Hernia repair are less than the risks of leaving the condition untreated