Hernia Surgery
How hernias happen
A hernia occurs when an organ, intestine, or tissue squeezes through a hole or weak spot in the surrounding facia or connective tissue. Hernias often occur at the abdominal wall. Sometimes a hernia can be visible as an external bulge particularly when straining or bearing down.
Types of hernias
The most common types of hernias are:
- Inguinal: occurs in the inner groin
- Femoral: occurs in the upper thigh/outer groin
- Incisional: occurs through an incision or scar in the abdomen
- Ventral: occurs in the general abdominal/ventral wall
- Umbilical: occurs at the belly button
- Hiatal: occurs inside the abdomen along the upper stomach/diaphragm
Surgical Treatment for Hernias
Surgery is commonly used as a treatment option for repairing a hernia. For people with a hernia diagnosis who do not have complications or symptoms with their hernias, your surgeon may recommend monitoring the hernia for some time before recommending surgery. However, surgery is the only treatment option available that can actually repair hernias.
Robotic Hernia Repair
Archbold surgeons can perform inguinal hernia repair using da Vinci technology. With da Vinci, your surgeon sits at a console next to you and operates using tiny instruments through one or a few small incisions. A camera provides a high-definition, 3D magnified view inside your body. Every hand movement your surgeon makes is translated by the da Vinci system in real-time to bend and rotate the instruments with precision. Robotic hernia repair can be performed with or without surgical mesh.
Laparoscopic Hernia Repair
Your surgeon will make several small incisions in the abdomen that allow surgical tools to be inserted into the openings to repair the hernia. Laparoscopic hernia surgery can be performed with or without surgical mesh.
Open Hernia Repair
Your surgeon will make an incision near the hernia and the weak muscle to repair the area. An open repair can be done with or without surgical mesh.