How Is a Hernia Diagnosed?
A doctor's physical examination is often enough to diagnose a hernia. Sometimes hernia swelling is visible when you stand upright; usually, the hernia can be felt if you place your hand directly over it and then bear down. Ultrasound may be used to see a femoral hernia, and abdominal X-rays may be ordered to identify a bowel obstruction.
What Are the Treatments for a Hernia?
In babies, umbilical hernias may heal themselves within four years, making surgery unnecessary. For all others, the standard treatment is conventional hernia-repair surgery (called herniorrhaphy). A strangulated intestinal hernia may result in intestinal obstruction, causing the abdomen to swell. The strangulation can also lead to infection, gangrene, intestinal perforation, shock, or even death.
Conventional Medicine for a Hernia
Your doctor may manually press your hernia back into place and advise you to wear a special belt, known as a truss that holds a hernia in place until surgery. Over-the-counter pain relievers can help ease discomfort.
What is the Procedure for Hernia Repair?
Hernia repair is a surgical procedure for correcting hernia. A hernia is a bulging of internal organs or tissues, which protrude through an abnormal opening in the muscle wall. Hernias can occur in the abdomen, groin, and at the site of a previous surgery.
There are two general types of hernia operations:
Herniorrhaphy. In this procedure, the surgeon makes an incision in the groin and pushes the protruding intestine back into your abdomen, then repairs the weakened or torn muscle by sewing it together.
Hernioplasty. In this procedure the surgeon inserts a piece of synthetic mesh to cover the entire area, including all potential hernia openings. The patch is usually secured with sutures, clips or staples. Hernioplasty can be performed conventionally, with a single long incision over the hernia. But it's often done laparoscopically, using several small incisions rather than one large one. A fibre-optic tube with a tiny camera is inserted into the abdomen through one incision, and miniature instruments are inserted through the other incisions. The surgeon then performs the operation using the video camera as a guide.
Laparoscopic hernia repair cannot be performed on a patient who has a very large hernia, the intestine is pushed down into the scrotum or if the patient has had previous pelvic surgery such as a prostatectomy. colonoscopy.
How long is the Procedure?
Hernia surgery is performed under either local or general anesthesia. The surgeon repositions the herniated tissue and, if strangulation has occurred, removes the oxygen-starved part of the organ. The damaged muscle wall will then be repaired with synthetic mesh or tissue. This procedure takes nearly 1 to 2 hours
Recovery
Usually no dietary restrictions, and work and regular activity may usually be resumed in one or two weeks. Complete recovery takes 3 to 4 weeks with no heavy lifting for 2 to 3 months.