Hernia Surgery is a conventional medical procedure that is carried out to repair the abdominal wall. This complex organ is relieved of the pain and discomfort, and the unlikely risk of strangulation is also avoided in this surgery. Surgeons commonly employ open surgery or minimally invasive techniques like laparoscopic repair.

Around 20 million individuals undergo this procedure each year. In the United States, doctors carry out more than 1 million hernia surgeries annually. Mostly hernia is developed in the groin or abdomen area. Hernia surgery is done so that the related organ and hernia tissues are put back into place by means of stitches or surgical mess.

Types of Hernia Surgery

Open surgery:

- A surgeon makes a single incision or cut that permits them to work on the hernia organ and place it in its desired position, i.e., into the abdomen. Surgical instruments are employed to stitch the tissue back together to make it stronger. Often surgical mesh is used to reinforce the tissue.

Laparoscopic surgery:

- Keyhole surgery is another term in the medical field for this procedure and this is a type of minimally invasive procedure where the surgeon carries out many small cuts, usually three or four to repair the hernia.
- A thin tube may be inserted with a tiny video camera or laparoscope that reveals images of the inside parts onto a screen. Surgical instruments are then inserted into the other incisions that allow them to repair the hernia.

Robotic surgery:

- Robotic surgical instruments are used for better precision and accuracy. The technology that repairs the weak tissue that caused your hernia is operated by your surgeon at a console.

Who Requires a Repair for Hernia?

Not all hernias may need immediate treatment, the majority do so because they often deteriorate with time. When internal tissue pushes outward through a rip or opening in a muscle or tissue wall, hernias can result in bulges. Additionally, they may result in awkward symptoms including pain, pressure, or discomfort. The location of your hernia may affect other organs and result in unpleasant outcomes.

A hernia, for instance, can pass through a muscle wall and enter your scrotum if you have testicles. This can result in swelling, pain during intercourse, and other problems.

If hernia results in symptoms or puts you at risk for a problem then surgery is the only alternative.

Are There Any Benefits of Hernia Surgery?

It is a safe surgery that can heal and forbid hernia from recurring. Below are some benefits available with the surgery:

Comfort from pain and discomfort arising from a painful hernia.
An improved and better quality of life.
Decreased risk of complications from the hernia.
Decreased risk of tissue strangulation.
Minimally invasive surgery options.
Open surgery options.
Hospital stay is short and recovery time is fast.

Factors such as smoking, diabetes, and an increased weight, risk the complications after hernia surgery. You may need to discuss these health issues with your healthcare expert.

Procedure of Hernia Surgery

Before the Procedure

The surgeon will look back into the medical history of the patient.
Taking suitable blood tests or imaging tests to make sure you are fit for the surgery.
Avoid taking drugs or any other blood thinner. All these drugs can cause post-operative uncontrolled complications.
The patient should not eat anything after midnight before the surgery day.

During the Procedure

Initially, you will be given anesthesia that will make you unconscious and slowly fall asleep to relieve you of the pain during the surgery.
To repair the hernia, the surgeon:
- Will make a single cut for open surgery or multiple small cuts for laparoscopic surgery.
- Repair the opening in your muscle.
- Use surgical mesh to beef up and cover the hernia defect in some cases.

The surgeon together with the team will heal the damaged surrounding tissue and realign the herniated tissue. They might generate a robust barrier wall by suturing healthy tissue together. In addition, they frequently employ surgical mesh, which offers additional support to stop a hernia from recurring.
Your wounds will be dressed, and the incisions will be sutured back together by the surgeon.

Recovery from the Surgery

The surgery can take anywhere from 30 minutes to five hours for complex procedures. This depends on the type of hernia and the type of surgery being undertaken. Normally robotic surgeries take a long time.

Risks and Complications

Hernia surgery, like all procedures has a sizable amount of risk. Some of these symptoms are more likely to be visible soon after surgery while others may take time to develop. Your care team will attempt to reduce and prevent them as much as feasible.

Short-term problems or adverse effects from hernia surgery include:

Infection at the location of the wound.
Seromas (fluid collection).
Hematomas (blood collection).
Damage to the organs, blood vessels, or encompassing tissue.
Bladder emptying issues (a catheter may be necessary in the near term to help).
Urinating problems if the hernia is in the groin.

Complications arising after recovery may include a visit to the healthcare provider to address:

Disruption of the surgical mesh.
Recurrence of hernia, although rare.
Infection deep into the tissue.

Pain during sexual intercourse is felt in males who are victims of assigned male at birth (AMAB). Here, hernia repair that surrounds the groin region is likely to damage the blood vessels, which can lead to discomfort in the testicles.