Think You Have a Hernia?

The AHA! Team — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 05:43:04 +0000

Debbe Geiger via Duke Health – Here’s What You Need to Know About Hernia Surgery If you’ve got an odd bulge in your belly or groin that you can push back in your body, there’s a good chance you have a hernia. If you have questions about whether you need hernia surgery, Jacob Greenberg, MD, a Duke Health general surgeon who specializes in hernia repair, has answers. Here, he explains what hernias feel like and what you need to know about hernia surgery. What does a hernia feel like? Most people notice a bulge at the site of their hernia. This can occur in the groin (these are called inguinal hernias) or in the belly (these are called ventral hernias). Hernias can also form at sites of prior surgeries (these are called incisional hernias). Hernias may be painless or may cause pain and discomfort. When the intestines get stuck in a hernia, an intestinal obstruction may occur, which can lead to nausea and vomiting. Do all hernias need surgery? Not all hernias need surgery. In fact, it may be safe to live with certain types. However, some hernias can cause certain emergencies and intestinal damage, which is why you should consult with a surgeon. They will perform a physical exam, ask questions about your medical history, and order imaging tests like an ultrasound or CT scan to identify the type of hernia you have, its size, and its location. Your surgeon will use this information to determine if and how the hernia should be surgically repaired. Do different types of hernias need different types surgery? Yes. Smaller hernias can be repaired using laparoscopic or robotic procedures. These minimally invasive approaches use small tools passed through small incisions to repair the hernia. They may reduce the level of pain you feel and help you recover faster. Complex hernias typically require large incisions. How long can I wait to have hernia surgery? It depends on your symptoms. If you have no symptoms, it is generally safe to wait. If you are having pain and discomfort, it is probably better to get the hernia repaired sooner rather than later. Sometimes, getting hernia surgery right away, even if you have no symptoms, can prevent the need for emergency surgery in the future. That is a risk you take when you live with a hernia. Is hernia surgery dangerous? All surgeries have some risk, so there is always the chance of an unintended complication associated with hernia repair. Fortunately, hernia surgery is very common. The size and type of your hernia will determine if repairing it is straightforward with very low risk or challenging and riskier. Having a hernia surgeon who is skilled at repairing all types of hernias will ensure you have the best possible outcome. How long does hernia surgery take? This also depends on the size and type of your hernia. Some hernia operations are as short as 30 minutes while others may take four to six hours to repair. Is hernia surgery outpatient? Many hernia surgeries can be done on an outpatient basis. However, bigger, more complex operations generally require a hospital stay to ensure that your surgery went well and without complications, and that your pain is controlled following surgery. How long does it take to recovery from hernia surgery? That also depends on your hernia type, size, location, whether you’ve had past surgeries and are at risk for complications, and whether hernia mesh was used. Mesh can reinforce the hernia repair and decrease the chance that your hernia will return. In most cases, people can return to all normal activities, including heavy lifting and exercise, in four to six weeks. To read the original article click here.

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Michigan Medicine Pediatric Surgeon Performs Incision-Less Hernia Repairs for Kids

AHA Publisher — Sat, 22 Feb 2020 08:00:40 +0000

Michigan Medicine – University of Michigan via Newswise – A unique procedure, created by a Michigan Medicine pediatric surgeon, is repairing inguinal hernias in children using an ultrasound and a needle, with no incision needed. Newswise — Health care providers are constantly evolving treatments for complicated conditions to provide patients with the greatest amount of benefit while avoiding any adverse effects, like scarring. Marcus Jarboe, M.D., a pediatric surgeon trained in interventional radiology at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, has developed an innovative, inguinal hernia surgery method, which has children walking out of operating rooms with only a few needle pokes to show for it. Inguinal and Epigastric Hernias According to the American College of Surgeons, 5 out of 100 babies will require this type of hernia surgery, with it occurring ten times more frequently in male infants. An inguinal hernia, which occurs in the groin, ensues when an area of abdominal muscle tissue, called the inguinal canal, fails to close up while a baby is in the mother’s womb. Not only is the surgery one of the most commonly performed pediatric operations, but the groin is also one of the most common sites for it, according to the American College of Surgeons. The condition always requires surgical treatment. “Surgery is always recommended due to the high risk of a child’s intestines getting caught in the hernia opening, which can strangulate the hernia and decrease blood supply to the intestines,” Jarboe says. Two common methods of repair include: – Open hernia repair – Laparoscopic hernia repair An open hernia repair involves a one to two-inch incision being made over the site and the hernia is then repaired by suturing the open inguinal canal closed. For a laparoscopic repair, two small ports are placed through punctures or small, half-inch incisions in the abdomen. For children, this is often done through the bellybutton and two additional sites on the abdomen. Surgical tools and a light are placed into the ports to suture the muscle at the hernia site. Carbon dioxide gas is used to inflate the abdomen to make the internal organs and other important vessels easier to see, which may cause less trauma and lead to a quicker recovery time. Epigastric hernias, similar to inguinal hernias, are typically much smaller and occur in the middle of the abdomen and bellow the breastbone. To date, Jarboe has used his incision-less surgery to correct hernia defects in approximately 50 patients. Jarboe’s Hernia Repair Methods During an inguinal hernia repair under Jarboe’s method, the patient is placed under sedation and Jarboe delivers a suture using ultrasound guidance and two needle pokes as points of entry to create a closed sac around the hernia. He then may use a scope to assure the sac is completely closed, after pulling the needle back out through the same hole in the skin. “Hernias are often difficult to precisely define with ultrasound. Collaborating with other surgeons and a radiologist we thought about how to overcome this obstacle,” Jarboe says. “Injecting saline fluid into the abdomen makes the hernia sac light up beautifully on ultrasound and makes its borders easily definable.” Although Jarboe’s epigastric hernia repair technique is similar to inguinal, saline fluid is not needed to see an epigastric hernia clearly on an ultrasound. Jarboe says this is because of the clearer defects in the fascia, the connective tissue in the body that helps support and protect muscle groups and organs. So far all of the procedures have been performed on female patients. According to Jarboe, in males, the testicular vessels and spermatic cord are intimately associated with the hernia sac and are very small, making them difficult to see. Injury to these vessels carry a great risk of testicular damage. However, Jarboe is hopeful of a future in which males can get this procedure as well. For those that opt for Jarboe’s method, there are a myriad of benefits to the patient. Most notably: minimal scarring, which is important for growing children since incisions stretch over time. “The field of surgery is not static. Incisions will not be getting bigger in the future; they’ll be getting smaller,” says Jarboe. “Our team is making those steps and pushing those limits.” Jarboe plans to initiate a study on these patients several years from now to see how successfully these patients are still progressing. To read the original article click here.

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Think You Have a Hernia?

Michigan Medicine Pediatric Surgeon Performs Incision-Less Hernia Repairs for Kids