Hernia is a medical condition where your internal organs like the intestine, tissues, fat, and fluids, etc, push through the weak spot of the abdominal wall. Hernias won’t go away by themselves, and you would require surgical intervention to treat a hernia.
However, undergoing hernia repair surgery depends on whether you are showing the hernia symptoms and whether they affect your daily activities and work. If you have small hernias that don’t show any symptoms or the symptoms that don’t bother you in your everyday actions and work, then you and your doctor may continue ‘watchful waiting’ [wait for the symptoms to occur].
Reasons for not to delay your Hernia Repair Surgery:
Depending on the severity of the hernia and effect of hernia symptoms on daily actions, several people either avoid hernia repair surgery or delay the surgery for months or years. But, as time flies, hernia gets bigger, and the abdominal wall gets weaker that leads more tissues or fat to bulge or to displace from their original position. Below we have mentioned the reasons for which you should not delay the hernia repair surgery.
- Incarcerated hernia: One of the major complications that can be caused if you delay the hernia surgery is incarcerated hernia. This is the situation where the hernia gets trapped outside of the abdominal wall and causes intolerable abdominal pain which would require immediate medical attention. So, delaying hernia repair surgery is not the best option for you if suffering from hernia symptoms.
- Increase in size of hernia: As said earlier, hernias will continue to grow along with time and weakens the abdominal wall. This can encourage the other internal organs to push through the weak spot of the abdominal wall. As a result, small hernias may develop at a rapid pace which makes you suffer from doing daily essential activities like bending over to lift the objects, and difficulty in bowel movements, etc.
- Aggravated hernia symptoms: If you leave the hernia without any treatment or surgery, then hernia symptoms can aggravate and cause nausea, vomiting, high fever, sudden pain that intensify quickly, difficulty in bowel movement, chest pain, severe pain during urination, and chronic constipation. So, try not to avoid hernia repair surgery.
- Change in your overall health: As you keep postponing the hernia repair surgery for a longer time, hernia gets worse along with your age. So, your age may determine whether waiting for hernia repair surgery is a risk or not. An increase in age can decrease your overall health condition and can change your physical shape. This will make a difference in the recovery process and the effect of surgery. Research shows that people undergo repair surgery within TEN years of onset of hernia. So having surgery at a younger age would be beneficial.
Many doctors around the world recommend hernia repair surgery as it prevents severe complications like strangulation, chronic constipation, and severe abdominal pain. Strangulation occurs when the incarcerated hernia cuts off from its blood supply.
Not all types of hernia progress to incarceration and strangulation, but it is a risk to consider hernia repair surgery.
What are the types of Hernia Repair Surgery?
In the modern era, where the latest and advanced technologies are being used to improve the health condition of a patient, surgeons follow two methods to perform a hernia repair surgery. They are Open hernia repair surgery and Laparoscopic hernia repair surgery.
- Open hernia repair surgery: This surgery is being practiced for several years which is safe and effective. In open hernia repair surgery, the surgeon will make a large incision over the location of the hernia and repairs it by pushing to its original position.
- Laparoscopic hernia repair surgery. This involves the surgeon making a few small cuts or incisions in the belly called ports. Through these ports, all the medical equipment like a laparoscope and other surgical instruments are sent inside the body to locate the hernia. Then, the hernia is pulled back from the abdominal wall and a mesh is placed. Finally, all the ports or cuts are stitched together to heal.
The mesh used in hernia repair surgery helps in strengthening the abdominal wall and also reinforces the weakened tissues or organs. It also decreases the chances of recurrence of hernia and reduces the discomfort after the surgery.
Laparoscopic hernia repair surgery is widely performed by a majority of surgeons as it has benefits like;
- Promotes quick recovery from the surgery
- Lesser risk of infection
- No scar or minimal scar formation
- Short stay of the patient in the hospital
Conclusion:
If you don’t have any symptoms or if symptoms don’t affect your lifestyle, you should not delay the surgery. Because prolonging won’t do any good and it enhances the risk of hernia complications and makes your recovery difficult. To know the right time to opt for hernia repair surgery, contact your doctor and discuss in detail the risks and complications of hernia along with the severity of delaying the hernia repair surgery.