What is a Hernia?

Hernia is a medical condition wherein one of the organs, usually inside the abdomen or in the groyne area, bulges out through an opening or weakness in the muscles or tissues that accommodate it.

Causes and Risk Factors of Hernia

Hernia can develop during one’s lifetime with age and the regular wear and tear of muscles and tissues adds to it. Sometimes, the weakness or pre-existing opening in the muscles or tissues, present at birth, can allow organs or other tissues to push through. ‘The condition can also be an outcome of surgery or a traumatic injury- more often a repetitive stress injury’, shares Dr. Praveen Kumar Koduru, senior laparoscopic and laser surgeon in Kompally, Hyderabad at Sree Nandaka Advanced Surgery.

Some factors can make an individual more likely to develop a hernia during their lifetime. These include:

• Physical labour jobs or any work involving long hours of standing
• A chronic respiratory illness that causes persistent cough or sneezing
• A history of pelvic or abdominal surgery
• Chronic constipation or straining while urinating or defecating
• Pregnancy, especially repeated or multiple pregnancies
• Chronic obesity (when Body Mass Index is greater than 30).
   

As per hernia surgeon in Hydearbad Dr. Praveen Kumar Koduru, a child is at risk of being born with hernia if:

• There is premature delivery.
• The child has other medical issues like cystic fibrosis, connective tissue disorder, hip dysplasia, undescended testicles, or reproductive/urinary problems.

Hernias Correction with Laparoscopy

Hernias need a surgical repair, but not necessarily just after getting it diagnosed. A small or mild hernia that occasionally shows up is watched out to check if it worsens. Hernias do tend to worsen over time and it's only cure is hernia repair surgery. Laparoscopic hernia repair in Hyderabad performed at Sree Nandaka Advanced Surgery is a less invasive surgery for hernia correction.

At Sree Nandaka Advanced Surgery, our hernia surgeries doctors in Hyderabad are extensively skilled and have decades of experience in performing laparoscopic hernia repair.

Preparation for The Surgery

During the initial consultation with the surgeon, the patient is briefed about the entire surgical procedure and results and provided with pre-treatment instructions.

Before the surgery, the patients must:

• Stop eating or drinking anything at least 8 hours beforehand.
• Take the medications only allowed by the surgeon in the days leading to the surgery. Blood-thinning drugs must be avoided.

The Surgical Procedure

Laparoscopic hernia repair is performed under general anaesthesia, meaning the patient will sleep throughout the procedure.

The surgery starts with the making of three to four small incisions around the hernia. One of the incisions is less than a cm in size while others are made much smaller, just like a keyhole size. Through the larger incision, the surgeon inserts a laparoscope- a thin tube with a camera and light at one end, to help the surgeon visualise the hernia. Next, the surgeon inserts surgical tools through other incisions to help get rid of the bulge. At this step, the abdomen may be inflated with a harmless carbon dioxide gas or an inflatable balloon to create enough space for the surgeon to easily work. The Best Hernia Repair Surgeon in Hyderabad carefully pulls the hernia contents back to their natural position. Finally, a mesh piece is installed on the inner side of the gap to reinforce the weakened site of the abdominal wall.

Result, Recovery, and Aftercare

Following the laparoscopic hernia repair, most patients get a hospital discharge the same day. The length of hospital stay depends upon the patient’s overall health. Typically, the patients resume work within a week of surgery and daily activities within one to two weeks. They must go for all follow-up visits and follow the post-surgical instructions as recommended by the surgeon. 

These include proper wound care and no physical activities that strain the surgical site. Walking is encouraged but strenuous activities including swimming must be avoided by patients for some weeks. The intake of a normal diet must be resumed when permitted. The patients must have healthy lifestyle habits and maintain their body weight.

Benefits of Laparoscopy for Hernia Correction

• It is a minimally invasive procedure.
• The procedure involves making 2-3 small cuts of keyhole size to correct multiple hernias at a time.
• It lowers the patient’s risk of infection.
• The patients can return to work and daily activities soon after the operation.
• The operation time is less.
• The patients experience less pain or discomfort and enjoy shorter recovery time.
• The chances of recurrence of hernia are extremely low.

Benefits of 3D Mesh Repair

• Needs minimal incisions and few stitches
• No sutures are used for fixing the mesh
• Can be performed under local anaesthesia
• Reduces the rate of recurrence of hernia
• Cures hernia at its best
• Quick recovery
• Early hospital discharge
• Additional benefits of laparoscopic procedure.

AT SREE NANDAKA, MAJORITY OF PROCEDURE ARE DONE USING ONLY 3D MESH.