What is Hernia ?

Hernia is defined as a tear or defect in the muscle wall, allowing intestine or sometimes fat to bulge through it.

It may appear as a painless lump which increases in size on straining or standing and disappears on lying down.

Dull aching sensation or pain in the bulge especially during straining.

Sometimes, long standing hernia fail to reduce or disappear on lying down. This permanent bulge is called as irreducible hernia

A hernia occurs when the contents of a body cavity bulge out of the area where they are normally contained. These contents, usually portions of intestine or abdominal fatty tissue, are enclosed in the thin membrane that naturally lines the inside of the cavity.

There are various types of hernias like :

• Inguinal
• Femoral
• Umblical
• Obturator
• Incisional
• Epigastric etc.

All hernias should be repaired to avoid the possibility of future intestinal strangulation. In most of the cases hernia surgery is not an emergency but in case it is a twisted hernia then it is an acute case and needs and emergency surgery. Hernia can happen at any age, in case of children it is always better to consult a paediatric surgeon if surgery is required.

Laparoscopic Hernia Repair

Laparoscopic hernia repair is a minimally invasive procedure, used to repair a hernia. A hernia occurs when a small portion of an organ including the intestines, protrudes causing an abnormal bulge in the abdomen area. A hernia repair is indicated if:

• The hernia is causing pain and discomfort
• It interferes with your normal routine activities.
• It can grow in size
• There is a risk of obstruction & strangulation of the intestine which then becomes an emergency.

Benefits of Laparoscopic Hernia surgery

• Small incisions
• Less post-operative pain
• Earlier return to work
• Shorter hospital stay
• Positioning of the mesh on the inside of the defect is mechanically better than when placed on the outside as in the non-keyhole operation
• Recurrent hernias are much easier as approached from the inside
• Hernias on both sides can be repaired through the same three holes as opposed to open surgery where separate incision is to be given on other side