Hernia Surgery

Types of Hernia

Following are the most common types of hernia, depending upon the location where they occur:

• An inguinal hernia occurs in the groin area. These are most common in males.
   
• A femoral hernia appears in the upper thigh area near the groin. It is mostly found in females.
   
• Ventral hernias; appear on the midline of the abdomen. These are the most common type of hernias.
   
• Incisional hernia is a hernia appearing on the site of a previous surgical scar.
   
• Umbilical hernias; occurs on the belly button area. These are mostly found in babies
   
• Hiatal hernias occurs when a part of the upper stomach comes out through an opening in the diaphragm.

 

Warning signs of hernia 

One of the common signs of hernias is that the hernia forms a noticeable lump or bulge on the affected area that may disappear when you sit or lay down. Coughing, laughing, lifting heavy weights, or doing any physical activity may make your hernias appear again. Most of the time patients do not observe any symptoms unless they suffer from extreme pain. You may need a hernia repair surgery when you observe the following symptoms:

• You may feel a sudden sharp pain around the hernias after doing some heavy work or physical activity and that pain significantly gets worse with time.
   
• When your hernia gets severe, the affected organ is trapped in the damaged muscle wall and you may have nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, and fever.
   
• When a part of your intestine is trapped in the hernia, you may have indigestion, inability to pass gas, or constipation.
• You may notice the change in color of the hernia. Hernias look the same as your skin color, but your skin may change color to red, purple, or darker if the blood is not flowing to your hernias. 
   

Causes

Peritoneum (abdominal) muscles and tissues line the abdominal wall that keeps every organ protected inside the peritoneum cavity. Abdominal muscles need strength to do so, but these muscles may be weakened by birth or deteriorate with a decline in age. Because of those weak deteriorated muscles, internal organs or intestines may come out causing a hernia. Some other causes of peritoneum muscles decoration are:

• Physical stress 
   
• Being overweight
   
• Taking less nutritious diets
   
• Straining during constipation or coughing 
   

When to call your doctor?

Hernias left untreated may cause severe implications that may risk your life so if you or any of your family members observe signs and symptoms of hernias it’s the right time to call your doctor.

Finding the right doctor and hospital is very crucial for your treatment and wellbeing, but you do not have to worry about finding the right hospital near your locality, booking your appointments, and any other health-related queries as Doctorfindy is here to make things easier for you. Doctorfindy is an online health portal that provides access to information for different health facilities from every corner of the country. We provide a list of public and private sector hospitals, lists of certified medical experts and lab test facilities, and help schedule appointments for medical lab tests, regular checkups, and surgical procedures. It also gives patients the facility to book an online video consultation with the best doctors from top cities in Pakistan. Book your appointment online with the best hernia surgeon for your hernia surgery from the comfort of your home.

Doctorfindy is your all-time health assistant; it helps you to schedule your weekly follow-ups with your surgeon even after the surgery.  
 

Pre-Procedure Guidelines

• After examining you physically your doctor will ask About any previous medical history to minimize the complications during the surgery 
   
• According to your age and health conditions, your doctor will ask for your blood tests and ECG. These tests will help to analyze if surgery is advisable or not.
   
• Your health care provider will inform you about your diet plan before and after the surgery and what medicine to take.
   

Procedure

• Your doctor will give local anesthesia or IV sedation anesthesia before the surgery.
  There are three known procedures for a hernia repair surgery.
• Open hernia repair surgery:In open hernia repair surgery, the surgeon will make a large incision on the groin area. Then the bulging hernia sac will be identified, and it will be pushed back in the abdomen. After that, the surgeon will stitch or places the synthetic mesh patch to strengthen the abdominal wall. Over time this patch will be absorbed and become a part of your abdominal wall.
   
• Laparoscopic hernia repair surgery:A laparoscope is a thin tube-like structure that is connected to a video monitor. A small incision will be made on your umbilical (belly button) then the laparoscope will be inserted through it, your doctor will watch the inside view of your abdomen on the monitor through the laparoscope. Then he will cut to expose the part of the peritoneum that is weak and place the mesh to strengthen the abdominal wall. Laparoscopic surgery is usually performed under general anesthesia.
   
• Robotic hernia repair surgery:Some surgeons prefer to do robotic surgery. Robotic hernia repair surgery is the same as laparoscopic surgery; the only difference is that the surgeon sits on a console and uses robotic arms to perform the surgery. This type of surgery provides excellent three-dimensional images of the inside of the abdomen as compared to laparoscopic surgery.
   

Surgery costs in Pakistan

Regardless of the type of surgical procedure, each one is expensive, and its cost varies depending upon the facility in the hospital, quality of treatment, and surgeon credential. The average assessed cost of hernia repair surgery is Rs.1lac to Rs. 2.5 lac.
 

Recovery time 

Hernia repair surgery is a short, few hours procedure. You may be discharged the same day if you have no other complications. It will take several weeks to fully recover after the surgery, usually 2-4 weeks and after that, you can gradually return to your normal work routine as the pain eases. During this recovery period avoid doing strenuous activities, heavy lifting, or any other harsh physical activity.
 

Risks and complications

Like any other surgical procedure hernia repair surgery also have some risk factors. Some of the complications are:

• Bleeding or infection on the site of incision 
   
• Chronic pain 
   
• Allergic reaction to anesthesia or any other drug
   
• Damage to an organ, tissues, or blood vessel
   
• Reappearance or return of hernia even after the surgery 
   
• Fluid-filled sac under the surface of the skin