Minimally invasive surgery for ventral hernias minimizes pain and recovery time
Wednesday, February 29th, 2012, 4:21 pm
By Seun Sowemimo, MD, FACS
Hernia—the word alone is enough to send chills down your spine because they usually result in a painful condition requiring surgical repair. They also cause anxiety because symptoms can on suddenly and be confused with more serious medical conditions. Hernias will not just go away with medication or time?prompt medical care is required.While there are several types of hernias, ventral, also called incisional hernias, appear at the site of a previous surgical incision.
Post-operative scar tissue can stretch or thin out after surgery, leading to weak spots in the abdomen due to straining during bowel movements, intense or recurrent coughing, weight gain, pregnancy, vomiting, or strenuous physical activity such as weightlifting. These make the abdominal wall more susceptible to strain and hernia. While they may not necessarily be painful, prompt treatment is necessary before the condition worsens.
Hernia Symptoms
How do you know if you’ve developed one of these irritating conditions? Other than a dull ache, nausea, constipation and vomiting, look for a bulge around the navel, groin, or any place where you have had a surgical incision. The protuberance may disappear when you lie down and be prominent when you stand. A strangulated hernia is a serious condition where the hernia restricts blood flow to the protruding organ, requiring emergency surgery to avoid the loss of the affected organ. The bigger the hernia, the bigger the operation will be to fix it. Therefore, report symptoms to your physician immediately.
While the last thing you may want to do after a surgical complication is undergo to more surgery, advancements in laparoscopy allow quicker recovery, shorter hospital stays, less pain and significantly reduced risk of infection. Most importantly, there is a greater guarantee that the laparoscopic approach will rid you of the hernia permanently.
Hernia Repair Surgery
After you are treated with general, spinal or local anesthesia, your laparoscopic surgeon will use a tiny telescope with a television camera attached to perform the hernia repair. The surgeon makes a small incision in your abdomen, carefully avoiding organs and scar tissue from prior surgery. He inserts the camera, or laparoscope, through a small hollow tube. The laparoscope allows him to view the hernia from the inside, which means three good things for the patient: smaller incisions, less healing time and a more positive surgical outcome. The surgeon will use surgical mesh to reinforce the weakened abdominal wall and help prevent the hernia from recurring.
You can expect to be home within 24 hours of your laparoscopic ventral hernia repair—markedly quicker than traditional open surgery. As with any operation, an experienced advanced surgical specialist will help ensure an optimal outcome.
When it comes to your health, choose a surgeon that will provide the least invasive solution, so you can get back to your life as quickly as possible.
About Dr. Seun Sowemimo
“Dr. Seun” is a board certified, fellowship-trained advanced laparoscopic, bariatric and general surgeon with vast expertise performing the safest, most advanced laparoscopic and general surgical operations. To learn more about ventral hernia surgery, Dr. Seun discusses the procedure here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FMB50yFFLE or call Prime Surgicare at (732) 637-6370.
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