What is a hernia?
A hernia is a weakness or hole in the abdominal muscle wall through which some of the abdominal contents protrudes. Normally occurring in the umbilicus or groin area or where an incision in the abdomen has previously been made, a hernia can appear after muscular strain or deterioration.
Why might you need a hernia repair?
A repair becomes necessary if there is a chance that the intestines will become caught in the hernial sac cutting off blood supply to the bowel, you suffer from pain or discomfort in the hernia, you have difficulty lifting things due to this pain or the hernia is increasing in size.
General procedure
This procedure is performed under general anaesthetic and can be done laparoscopically through three small incisions making it a minimally invasive surgery that should take less than two hours. The surgeon is able to see inside the abdomen using a laparoscope (a thin tool with a camera and light fitted to it) that is fed through one of the incisions and transmits video images back to the monitor. The surgery is then able to be performed remotely by the surgeon by using long tools inserted into the other incisions. Carbon dioxide is slowly passed into one of these incisions through a tube to inflate the abdomen so that the surgeon can see the area more clearly and has more space to work within the abdomen. Once located the hernia defect or hole is then covered with mesh from the inside of the abdomen.
Post-op care
If done laparoscopically the post-op recovery usually has minimal pain and you can usually go home that same day. You may experience pain at the incision site or pain in the shoulder from the gas used in surgery. If your day-to-day activities require little to no activity such as an office job it may be possible to return to work within a few days however the more active your lifestyle is will determine how soon you can resume normal activity. A moderate amount of pain is expected in the first few days after the procedure that can be managed with pain relief ,however if pain persists or increases it is important to notify your doctor.
