What is a hernia?

Hernias are bulges in the belly where intestines and abdominal fat come out under the skin through a defect or hole or a weak spot in the abdomen. The defect may be in a scar from a previous operation or a naturally present gap in the abdomen. Hence, the common sites for hernias are the groin, navel, abdomen, or a previous operation site. A hernia is becoming a very prevalent disease these days and people are availing hernia surgery to address them effectively.

What is complex hernia?

A complex hernia is the one that is very large in size, has come back after one or more surgeries and/or interfering with the day to day life.

What are the different types of hernia?

Inguinal hernia

An inguinal hernia occurs when a small portion of the bowel bulges out through the inguinal canal into the groin. It mostly occurs in men.

Causes

Some inguinal hernias have no proven cause. Others might occur due to:

Increased pressure within the abdomen.

A weak spot in the abdominal wall from before.

Strain during bowel movements or urination.

Strenuous activity.

Chronic coughing or sneezing.

Symptoms

Several symptoms will let you know that you have inguinal hernia:

A bulge may appear on either side or both sides of your pubic bone.

An aching or burning sensation in the area of the bulge.

Pain or discomfort in your groin which you will mostly feel when bending over, coughing, or lifting.

A dragging and heavy sensation in your groin.

Weakness or pressure in your groin.

Femoral hernia

It mostly occurs in women. A femoral hernia occurs when a portion of tissue pushes through the wall of the femoral canal.

Causes

Childbirth.

Chronic constipation.

Heavy lifting.

Being overweight.

Difficulty in urination due to an enlarged prostate.

Pregnancy.

Chronic coughing.

Symptoms

Severe stomach pain.

Sudden groin pain.

Nausea.

Vomiting.

Umbilical hernia

Most common in infants, Umbilical hernia occurs when part of the intestine sticks out through the opening in the abdominal muscles through which the umbilical cord passed before a child is born.

Causes

Obesity.

Multiple pregnancies.

Fluid in the abdominal cavity.

Previous abdominal surgery.

Long-term dialysis treatment to treat kidney failure.

Symptoms

For babies: The bulge may be visible only when they cry, cough, or strain.

For adults: It may cause abdominal discomfort.

Incisional hernia

It develops after an abdominal surgery at the same place where the incision has been done.

Causes

Putting too much pressure on your abdomen.

Becoming pregnant before the cut fully heals.

Doing physical activities too soon after surgery.

For some reason, when a surgical cut doesn’t properly heal.

Symptoms

Nausea and vomiting.

Fever.

Burning or aching near the hernia.

Abdominal pain and discomfort, particularly around the hernia.

Faster heartbeat than usual.

Constipation.

Diarrhea.

Thin, narrow stool.

Hiatal hernia

When the upper part of your stomach bulges through the large muscle separating your abdomen and chest it is known as hiatal hernia.

Causes

Age-related changes in your diaphragm.

Injury to the area after certain types of surgery.

Being born with an unusually large hiatus.

Continous and intense pressure on the surrounding muscles.

Symptoms

Heartburn.

Regurgitation which means it brings back swallowed food or liquids into the mouth.

Backflow of stomach acid into the oesophagus also known as acid reflux.

Difficulty swallowing.

Chest or abdominal pain.

Shortness of breath.

Vomiting of blood or passing of black stools indicating gastrointestinal bleeding.

What happens if the hernia is left untreated?

Many hernias do not cause symptoms and do not require treatment. A patient also usually ignores an asymptomatic hernia in the hope that it will go away without hernia surgery. But one should consult a surgeon before making a decision. Unfortunately, that never happens. An untreated hernia will increase in size over some time, during which it will also become more uncomfortable and complicated as well. A hernia NEVER resolves on its own, or even with oral medication, therapy, or hernia belts. Hence, the best option is to go for hernia surgery which you can avail in Kolkata. Also, sometimes the gut may get stuck and their blood supply may be cut off leading to a dangerous condition. This generally needs emergency surgery which has a worse prognosis compared to elective surgery.

How is the diagnosis of hernia done?

A physical exam by your doctor is often enough to diagnose a hernia. Most of the time it can be detected when the hernia starts swelling and is visible when you stand upright. But in cases when there is no swelling like femoral hernia it can be diagnosed with the help of ultrasound and abdominal X-rays can help to determine in the presence of bowel obstruction.

What is the modern treatment for hernias?

In recent years, laparoscopic hernia surgery has replaced traditional surgery in the treatment of hernias even in Kolkata. The very concerns of the patients such as scars, wound infection, pain, and failure, seen more commonly in traditional hernia surgery are minimized by this procedure. Since laparoscopic hernia surgery in Kolkata is done by making small incisions in the abdomen instead of making one large incision, it makes the procedure less painful, scarless, and bloodless. It also allows the patient to go back home in a few days and resume normal activities. This is unprecedented in conventional surgery where the patients in Kolkata are hospitalized for several days with a restriction of normal activities with a longer period of time. Sufficient to say that there is no single procedure that would work in all cases. There are open and laparoscopic procedures that are mostly done which generally have the aim to close the defect without tension and then reinforce with an appropriate mesh.

What are the options for large complex hernia?

Traditional surgeries in Kolkata give high recurrence rates for large and complex hernias. Recent times have seen a rapid proliferation of newer procedures to reduce recurrences such as component separation techniques and the Peritoneal Flap method. Ours, present in Kolkata is one of the few centers in the world which can repair complex hernias by keyhole surgery.

What happens if a hernia arises out of previous surgery, especially a hernia surgery?

Imagine someone who has had one operation and being told to undergo another surgery to correct the fault of the first one. The thought of more scars, pain, and long hospital stay can be traumatic. To add to it, the fear of recurrence of a hernia is there in most cases. But the recurrence of hernia has decreased a lot with the aid of laparoscopic hernia surgery. Even then if the hernia does occur again due to some reason the only treatment is laparoscopic hernia surgery. Choose a center in Kolkata where there is high volume with surgeons trained in repairs for complex hernias.

What is the cost of laparoscopic hernia surgery?

Just like all good things in life, this method of treatment also does not come cheap. A good mesh costs significantly so do the fixation devices. But for patients who love their body and are conscious about their comfort and results, the expense of undergoing laparoscopic hernia surgery in Kolkata is worth it. Consult the doctor for detailed expenses.