Hernia repair is one of the most commonly performed general surgeries, and can be completed using traditional or minimally invasive techniques.
A flat band of tissue below the skin that covers the underlying tissues.
Caused when the intestine enters the canal carrying the femoral artery into the upper thigh. More common in women, femoral hernias often occur in those who are pregnant or obese.
A procedure to repair a hernia.
Caused when the intestine or the bladder protrudes through the abdominal wall or into the inguinal canal into the groin. About 80% of all hernias are inguinal, most occurring in men.
Caused when the intestine pushes through the abdominal wall at or near the site of a previous incision. Incisional hernias are most common in the elderly or overweight.
A minimally invasive technique in which a thin, lighted tube called a laparoscope is inserted into small incisions in the abdomen called “keyholes”. Instruments are then inserted into the keyholes to make the repair.
Caused when part of the small intestine passes through the abdominal wall near the navel. Umbilical hernias are common in newborns, obese women or those who have had many children.
A hernia is a tear or weak spot in the abdominal wall. It occurs when an organ or tissue squeezes through a hole or a weak spot in a surrounding muscle or connective tissue called fascia.
Hernias are classified as inguinal, incisional, femoral and umbilical.
A herniorrhaphy is performed for individuals who are suffering pain or other symptoms of a hernia. Although the surgery performed to correct inguinal, incisional, femoral and umbilical hernias each differ slightly, the basic procedure is very similar. In an open hernia repair, a single, long incision is made in the groin. If the hernia is bulging out of the abdominal wall, it is pushed back into place. If it is going down the inguinal canal, the hernia sac is either pushed back or tied off and removed.
In some smaller hernias, the weak spot in the muscle wall is repaired by sewing the healthy muscle tissue together. In some cases, mesh patches of synthetic material are sewn over the weakened area in the abdominal wall after the hernia is pushed back into place, decreasing the risk of hernia reoccurrence.
In a laparoscopic procedure, a thin, lighted tube with a camera is inserted thorough a small incision made under the patient’s belly button. Two other small incisions are made in the lower abdomen where the instruments are inserted. By viewing a TV monitor, the surgeon pulls the hernial sac back into the abdominal cavity, exposing the defect. He then covers the weakened portion with a mesh patch.
The open hernia repair is performed while the patient is under general anesthesia, but the laparoscopic may be performed either under general anesthesia or, in some cases, regional anesthesia combined with a sedative.