What is a hernia?
A hernia is also called a hernia or small bowel gas. Simply put, a hernia is a tear or hole in the muscle tissue of the abdominal wall through which an organ or tissue, such as the patient’s small intestine, leaves its original position and protrudes into another part of the body. It is like a car tire where the outer tire is broken and the inner tire protrudes through the hole.
Who is at risk for a hernia?
Anyone can get a hernia. However, it is generally more common in children and in middle-aged and older men.
How do I know if I have a hernia?
There are several types of hernias, but inguinal hernias are the most common. In the case of an inguinal hernia, the symptom is usually a bulge in the inguinal area accompanied by pain and a sensation of swelling. Sometimes the bulge disappears spontaneously when the patient is lying down, or when pushed by hand. Sometimes, the bulge does not disappear.
What should I do if I suspect I have a hernia?
The best way to determine if you have a hernia is to go to the hospital.
What should I do if I am diagnosed with a hernia?
According to official information from the American Academy of Family Physicians, hernias do not heal on their own, except in some children. The American Academy of Family Physicians generally recommends surgery for hernia patients. In fact, surgery is the only effective way to treat a hernia.
There are many ways to repair a hernia, which hernia surgery should I choose?
It is the patient’s right to discuss his or her surgical options with the doctor. Patients should take full advantage of this right. However, each doctor has different habits and expertise, and different doctors have different approaches to the same hernia surgery. A surgeon may also perform a different procedure depending on the indication. Therefore, it is not possible to generalize that one surgical approach is appropriate for all hernia patients.
As mentioned earlier, pediatric and young patients in their formative years may be best suited for traditional tension surgery; bilateral patients or patients with recurrent hernias may be better suited for laparoscopic surgery; and middle-aged and older patients may be better suited for tension-free surgery with patches. Nevertheless, some basic principles apply.
In terms of recurrence rates and patient quality of life after surgery, tension-free hernia surgery with patches is preferable to conventional surgery that simply sews the tissue together.
The choice of which atonic procedure to choose can be found in the introductory section on the various atonic procedures.
If you choose to have an atonic procedure with a patch, the basic principle is that the less material that is implanted in the body, the better.
The price of various patch materials varies greatly, but in general, the price of the material is not necessarily related to the outcome of the hernia repair. In other words, the more expensive the material, the better the result of the repair.
Which type of anesthesia should I choose if I want to have a tension-free hernia surgery?
Hernia repair surgery can be performed under general anesthesia, lumbar anesthesia and local anesthesia. Many studies have proven that 90% of hernia repairs can be performed under local anesthesia with proper preoperative preparation. The advantages of local anesthesia are the short recovery time and the ability to verify the results of the repair on the spot during surgery. In addition, local anesthesia can avoid the disruption of respiratory and immune system function that can result from general anesthesia. This advantage is particularly important for elderly patients and frail patients.
Local anesthesia is not suitable for those patients who are overly anxious. For such patients, general anesthesia and lumbar anesthesia are more appropriate. General anesthesia is the most comfortable for the patient, however, it is also the most risky (and expensive). Patients sometimes do not adapt to general anesthesia and develop complications such as vomiting, excessive sedation, and urinary retention that necessitate hospitalization.
Lumbar anesthesia provides good analgesia and is slightly less risky than general anesthesia. Lumbar anesthesia also has its inherent drawbacks. The longer time required to do lumbar anesthesia, incomplete anesthesia, urinary retention, and slow return of sensation to the lower extremities may all lead to the end of having to be hospitalized for observation.
If I decide to have hernia surgery, what hospital and what doctor should I choose?
In China, hernia has long been considered a minor condition. There are fewer of these surgeries in large hospitals. Not many big name doctors in big hospitals perform this surgery either. Hernia surgery in large hospitals is usually performed by doctors with lower seniority. The majority of hospitals do not have a hernia specialist, and the surgery is performed by whoever has the patient. Hernia surgery is more common in small and medium-sized hospitals, and even some township hospitals perform hernia surgery.
In this situation, it is difficult to guarantee the quality of hernia surgery. Since there are fewer specialized hospitals and almost no specialized doctors, it is more difficult for patients to choose hospitals and doctors. In general, hospitals that are too small are best avoided. Doctors who specialize in hernia in medium and large hospitals should be the best choice.