Hernia Treatment

There are certain cavities in the human body, like the thoracic cavity, abdominal cavity and pelvic cavity. These cavities house some of the vital organs. For example, thoracic cavity houses lungs and heart. Abdominal cavity contains the stomach, liver, spleen, intestines and gallbladder. When any of these organs (that are located inside the cavity) protrudes out through a weak spot in the wall that covers the cavity, then, the condition is called hernia. While hernia can occur in any of the body cavities, the most commonly affected location is the abdominal cavity. Although, hernias can appear in other locations, those in the abdominal cavity are mostly referred to as hernias.

More About Hernia

Abdominal hernias can be of different types, like inguinal (includes both direct and indirect forms), femoral, umbilical, incisional, obturator, epigastric and spigelian. Among these hernia types, inguinal hernia accounts for around 75% of all abdominal hernias. While inguinal hernia refers to those protrusions that occur in the groin area, where the thigh meets the torso, femoral hernias appear in locations near to the inguinal region. Umbilical hernias are mostly found in newborns and as the name suggests, the most common location for the protrusion is the belly button. Hernia may appear on sites, where incisions have been made for surgery. Such hernias are called incisional hernias.

Most of these hernia types appear as a very small swelling during the early stages. With time, they develop in size and if left untreated, may cause some complications, incarceration, wherein the protruding part gets strangulated and blocking the blood supply to this portion. An incarcerated hernia can be an emergency condition that requires immediate surgery. Causes of hernia include heredity, chronic lung disease, obesity, accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity, cough and straining during bowel movements.

Treatment for Hernia

In general, hernia treatment depends on the type and size of the opening in the abdominal wall and the health condition of the person. While surgery is the ultimate treatment option for people with hernia, in some cases, the doctor may not recommend surgery due to various factors. It has been observed that most of the irreducible hernias (that cannot be pushed back into place) require surgery and reducible hernias (that can be pushed back into place) may sometimes be exempted from surgery.

Non-Surgical Treatment: As mentioned above, in some cases hernia treatment without surgery is preferred and this applies mainly to the reducible ones. Doctors adopt a wait and watch policy, if it is unsafe for the affected person to undergo surgery for hernia repair. In some cases, hernias will be small in size and do not cause any pain or discomfort. Surgery may not be done in such cases too. In some cases, the openings of the hernias will be so large that surgery is not considered as a feasible option. Even the risk of strangulation is minimum in such cases and so, surgery is not necessitated. In such cases, the patients will be advised to use abdominal binders or trusses. These special belts prevent the further bulging of the hernia. However, the use of binders is discouraged by some health experts. According to them, these belts cause formation of scar tissue in the area and this causes difficulties in surgery, which may be done at a later stage.

Surgical Treatment: As mentioned earlier, the ultimate hernia treatment is surgery only. Surgery is recommended for both reducible and irreducible hernias, but in case of the latter, surgery has to be done at the earliest, so as to avoid strangulation. Hernia surgery can be either open or laparoscopic. In some cases, open surgery is the only way to repair the hernia, whereas in some others, laparoscopic surgery can be done. It has also been observed that some of the laparoscopic hernia surgeries are converted to open ones, when the surgeon finds it difficult to repair the hernia through the former procedure. In case of laparoscopic hernia repair, two small incisions will be made by the surgeon, near the hernia. A small tube with a camera on its end will be inserted through one incision and the surgical instruments will be inserted through the other. The surgeon will get a good view of the surgical site from the images displayed in the monitor and conduct the hernia repair surgery. The protruded parts are moved back to their original place and the opening in the abdominal wall is sutured with a synthetic mesh that prevents further protrusion. In case of open surgery, the procedure is done through a long cut made on the abdominal wall. So, an open surgery causes scarring, which is minimal in laparoscopic surgery. Even the recovery time may be longer in an open surgery, which requires the patient to stay in hospital for several days. Hernia treatment cost also varies with the mode of treatment.

In short, treatment for hernia is decided on the basis of the nature and type of hernia and the health condition of the patient. However, surgery is always said to be better, so as to avoid complications. It will be advisable to discuss the treatment options with your doctor, so as to get a clear idea about the various aspects of hernia treatment.