How do hernia belts work and do they only relieve symptoms? From a clinical point of view, the use of a hernia belt is not advocated. A hernia is a physical change, a hole, and it is impossible to patch the hole with a hernia belt, which only serves as a support and will not solve the underlying problem. For those who are physically weak and have other serious illnesses to postpone surgery, you can use a hernia belt temporarily, preferably homemade, without adding medicine packs. Why not advocate long-term use? Firstly, it is necessary to have some experience to tie the hernia belt, because a loose belt can’t hold the testicles, and a tight one can affect the development of the spermatic cord and testicles, especially the kind with medicine packs sold on the market, which is harmful and not beneficial. Secondly, prolonged use of the hernia belt may also cause adhesions of the hernia contents, increasing the chance of impaction and making surgery more difficult. Parents are most concerned about minimally invasive surgery, can you tell us about the surgery? Surgery is the only reliable way to cure a hernia. There are two types of surgical treatment: traditional open surgery and minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery. Laparoscopic surgery has many advantages over traditional open surgery: ① The hernia ring opening, surrounding blood vessels and vas deferens are clearly visible under the laparoscope, and the inner ring opening can be ligated in a circular fashion under direct vision. There is no need to dissect and separate any tissue, so it is not easily damaged. ②It is possible to check and find out whether there is a hidden hernia on the other side at the same time, avoiding the need to operate again soon after the operation when the opposite side hernia is found. Minimally invasive surgery can treat bilateral hernias at the same time without additional incisions. ③Laparoscopic can achieve true high ligation of the hernia sac, which is safe and reliable and reduces the recurrence rate after surgery. ④Small incision, small trauma, short operation time, mild postoperative pain, no scrotal swelling and pain, quick recovery and aesthetic appearance. ⑤ Especially for recurrence cases, it is safe and easy to operate without going through the original surgical incision, without separating the spermatic cord, and not easy to recur. ⑥There are no more restrictions after the operation, and after waking up from anesthesia, you will be able to eat and get out of bed. Is this minimally invasive surgery you mentioned suitable for every child with inguinal hernia? Yes. Minimally invasive surgery, especially single-port laparoscopic minimally invasive surgery, can be performed in all children except those with severe preexisting heart disease, anemia, or respiratory disease. With the widespread use of laparoscopic technology in clinical practice, the technology has become increasingly mature and has been improved from the original three holes for three poke cards (belly button and both sides of the belly button, with the two sides 3-100px from the umbilicus) to two holes for two poke cards (reducing one hole next to the umbilicus). At present, the two-hole technique has matured and has been carried out in all major hospitals. In order to achieve better minimally invasive results, in recent years, many scholars have started to study the single-hole technique, which is the direction of development and the common expectation of minimally invasive surgery and the child’s family. However, there is a bottleneck of one-handed operation in the single-port technique without auxiliary clamp, so only women or very few male hernias can be selected for easy operation, which can do a few percent but not 100 percent. Therefore, the single-port technique cannot be promoted even if it is good. In order to facilitate the operation, some hospitals study the use of an enlarged umbilical incision, also called single-hole, and some make two holes at the umbilical margin, so that both the operating forceps and the laparoscope enter through the enlarged umbilical incision or the adjacent incision, which is considered single-hole and does not leave the umbilical fossa, but actually does not reduce the trauma and fails to achieve the true minimally invasive purpose. inconvenience. In order to make every pediatric hernia completed smoothly under single-hole laparoscopy, neither enlarging the umbilical incision nor increasing the paramedian hole, perforating only the laparoscope, and also using the auxiliary forceps. We have developed a needle-like forceps, which I call “needle forceps”, to replace the auxiliary forceps without leaving scars. The white line of the lower abdomen is the thinnest part of the abdominal wall, just like the umbilicus, which is characterized by the absence of blood vessels and muscles, making it less painful and easier to enter the needle after surgery. The needle is used as a clamp, that is, the auxiliary role of the clamp, but also to avoid the chopstick effect, simple operation, flexible and convenient, so that the trauma is smaller, the operation time is shorter, no scar after the needle is removed, the postoperative pain is lighter, faster recovery. You can eat, drink and play on the same day after surgery, and you can be discharged on the same day. In the past two years we have used this single-hole technique for all pediatric hernias without any unsuccessful cases.