Saturday 24 November 2018

Understanding The Options Of Hernia Repair Surgery

By Brian Barnes


Hernia is a condition which is experienced when an organ or an internal tissue breaks, which happens through a whole in the muscles. The surgical procedure for repairing hernias is referred to as herniorrhaphy and is a procedure in which displaced tissues are returned to their actual positions. There is also hernioplasty whereby mesh patches are sewn over weakened tissue areas. When it comes to hernia repair surgery, there are are a number of things that one should know.

Small hernias never cause any symptoms. Generally, the surgeries are classified as either hernioplasty or herniorrhaphy. The surgeries are performed during the day and thus will get home on the same day. They are fairly safe and effective. In most cases, it will take between 1 and 2 years before hernias start to cause painful, noticeable symptoms. There are people who might notice symptoms only when they take part in strenuous exercise.

There are symptoms which if one has, will indicate that they should consider going for surgical treatment. The person might have long-term discomfort and pain, or it could be that the hernias are enlarging. You will need to go for surgery when the discomfort is such that you are unable to do daily chores. Also, surgical treatment is called for when hernias are in places where they can enlarge and get worse, for instance the groins. There are however some cases in which the condition does not cause symptoms to warrant medical attention. Nevertheless, hernias can never get resolved without treatment.

The first type of surgical procedure is herniorrhaphy which is the oldest type of surgical procedure. With this procedure, the surgeon will make a long incision which is directly above the hernia. He will then use surgical tools to open the resulting cut such that it can be accessed. Tissues and organs which might have been displaced will then be returned to the original location. The hernia sac then gets removed. The sides of muscle from which the hernia protruded will then be stitched back.

The other procedure is called hernioplasty and is also referred to as mesh repair. In this case, rather than have muscle openings stitched, they are covered using flat mesh. The mesh is usually manufactured from flexible plastic materials. There are small cuts made by the surgeon around the holes. That is followed by having the patch stitched.

Before one gets discharged from hospital, they will be told of activities that they need to avoid and the period for which that should happen. Generally, complete recovery takes 3 weeks to 6 weeks. You will be required to rest for about two weeks before resuming normal activities.

Just like other forms of surgeries, there are some side effects of surgical hernia repair procedures. For once, the place with the incision will have a red appearance, which might also be swollen. The place could also be painful to touch. For reduction of inflammation, over the counter medicines are used. There are other not so common side effects like damage to tissues, infections and urinary tract infections.

There are some signs that if experienced should be reported to the doctor. For instance, if the incision remains painful for many days after the procedure, you will need to see a doctor. The same applies to when there are new symptoms which were not present immediately after the operation.




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