The journey of any hernia surgery begins with a simple screening. Hernias are of different types, and they occur when the internal organs push out through a weak muscle or tissue wall that holds them in place. Hernias can affect both men and women, from newborns to the elderly. It is one of the most common medical problems that can affect people of any age. Treatment for repairing a hernia depends on the severity of the symptoms, especially to prevent complications such as hernia strangulation, which blocks the blood flow to the organ/tissue where the organ/tissue dies eventually.
Pre-hernia surgery preparation
The majority of hernia surgeries are minimally invasive, which means they are performed with the help of a laparoscopic. They are carried out on an outpatient basis, which means patients can probably go home on the same day of surgery.
Pre-surgery preparation starts with a specific diet and various tests, which include blood tests, an x-ray, an ECG, and some other medical evaluations depending on the patient’s age and general health condition.
Once you are eligible for surgery, your surgeon explains the potential risks and benefits related to the operation, and you may need to sign some consent papers to proceed with surgery.
The night before surgery, the patient might need to be on an empty stomach (should not eat or drink anything). On the morning of surgery, the surgeon gives medications, which can be taken with a sip of water.
You can take a shower the night before or a few hours before the operation. If you have any bowel problems, speak with the surgeon before giving an enema.
Certain medicines, especially painkillers, blood thinners, anti-inflammatory medications, etc., need to be stopped temporarily a few days before surgery.
If you have any other concerns, talk to the surgeon before surgery without any hesitation.
Hernia surgery procedure
There are different approaches to fixing a hernia, and the type of approach is decided depending on the severity and extent of the hernia, available resources, and some other factors.
The surgeon chooses to perform either laparoscopic surgery or open surgery. The main goal of any hernia surgery is to push the protruding internal contents back into their original position.
In the case of a laparoscopic procedure, a few smaller incisions are made to operate, but in the case of an open hernia repair, a single large incision is made to fix it. Once the procedure is completed, the incisions are sealed off with stitches.
Sometimes the tissue wall might not be strong enough to hold the contents, which increases the risk of hernia recurrence. So a mesh is placed to make the area stronger.
Recovery tips
Hernia surgery is a common procedure. Based on the severity and general health of the patient, recovery time varies and can be long. So it is important to understand the process and know the tips to recover quickly.
- Wear loose-fitting clothes and stretchable waistbands.
- Be active and move around frequently, which helps to improve circulation and also speeds up healing.
- Involve in regular exercise as advised by the physician
- Eat a specific diet that is rich in fibre, fresh fruits, and vegetables, as recommended by the surgeon.
- After surgery, constipation is a common problem, so drink more water and other fluids to prevent it.
- Lifting objects can increase pressure on surgical areas; avoid lifting objects, even if they are lightweight, as it increases the risk of back pain.
- Don’t bend, especially forward, like picking objects from the ground
- Following surgery, sneezing or coughing might cause pain, so holding a pillow against your stomach reduces pain when you cough or sneeze.
- For free bowel movements, you can use stool softeners after surgery
- Do not drive any vehicle until you have recovered completely
- Change the incisions dressing from time to time
- Avoid smoking and drinking until you recover because tobacco and alcohol slow the recovery
These are standard post-operative instructions that must be followed by every patient following hernia surgery to recover quickly. For more detailed information about hernia surgery, consult Dr. Venugopal Pareek, one of the best hernia surgeons in Hyderabad. He says that if the patient observes symptoms like fever, sweating more than usual, having trouble urinating, bleeding from the incision, or chronic pain, talk to the doctor immediately. He has more than nineteen years of experience and is an expert laparoscopic hernia repair surgeon in Hyderabad.
