Facts about Abdominal Wall Hernias and the Advantages of using the Hernia Network

Definition of a Hernia

A hernia is a protrusion of an organ or tissue from its customary place within a cavity. By the way of analogy, compare a tire with a weak or torn outer wall. Under pressure, the contained inner-tube will bulge, thus simulating the phenomenon known as a hernia. We generally associate hernia with the abnormal protrusion externally of an organ or a protrusion through an internally structured wall.

Types of Hernias

Hernias are typed according to where they occur in the body.

• Femoral Hernias are commonly in the upper part of the thigh.
• Umbilical Hernias occur at the navel.
• Incisional Hernias occur at the site of an incision after surgery.

The site of greatest frequency is in the groin, with an Inguinal Hernia.

In the case of an inguinal hernia, invading tissue protrudes through the canal which contains the spermatic cord in the male and the round ligament in the female.

Classifications of Hernias

Hernias can be classified as reducible hernias and non-reducible hernias. A reducible hernia can be pushed back with the abdomen to be held in place; for which elective surgery can be scheduled since this is not an emergency. A non-reducible hernia is where the organs cannot be pushed back into the abdominal cavity. This leads to incarceration and strangulation with impairment of organs caught in the sac, indicating the need for emergency surgery.

Emergencies

Incarceration and strangulation if ignored, the blood restriction can produce gangrene and necrotic bowel, becoming a life threatening situation to the patient. Surgery must be done immediately!

History of the hernia repair

In the past decade of the nineteenth century, there was a rapid advance in the knowledge of anatomy, surgical antisepsis and anesthesia, which led to the surgical treatment of the hernia.

During this period, Dr. Bassini (Italy 1844-1924), Dr. Halsted (United States 1852-1922), Dr. Ferguson (United States 1853-1911), Dr. Lothesissen (France 1868-1935) devised different varieties of layer closure for the defects remaining after sac ligations. These classic procedures formed the foundation of modern herniorrhaphy and they have been applied, essentially without significant alteration or improvement, for the past 100 years. Today most repairs of inguinal hernias are still based on these century old techniques.

More that a decade ago, surgeons developed an interest in specializing in hernia repair and added the use of mesh, resulting in better outcomes, added strength, and ensured a speedy and more enduring recovery. There are also Laparoscopic techniques which are more costly and may be necessary in multi-recurrent hernia repairs where the surgeons need to go in through a different area due to extensive scar tissue damage.

The average national recurrence rate for open hernia repairs is 12-15 percent; however, with our hernia specialists, the recurrence rate is less than one percent - a major decrease. Recurrent hernias require added knowledge and skill to repair. Mesh is very important here to establish a new strong support layer.

Local, as well as general anesthesia is available to the patient undergoing Open Hernia repair. With this technique, the patient may return to normal and customary work within 14 to 17 days without any temporary or permanent disability.

The Medical advantages of the Open Hernia Repair are the following:

1. Local anesthesia, which is safer than general anesthesia, allows the surgeon to test the strength of the repair during surgery.
2. There is diminished possibility of post-operative pulmonary complications.
3. There is decreased discomfort from nausea and headaches.
4. Local anesthesia allows the repair of the hernia in patients with such medical problems as liver disease and other related conditions which would be adversely affected by general anesthesia. General anesthesia is available for those who are allergic to the local or, for psychological reasons, would rather have a general anesthesia.

The advantages of using the Hernia Network, A Medical Corporation as your hernia Specialist are the following:

1. Better Outcomes - Lower recurrence rate due to experience and number of hernia surgeries performed each month. Also our surgeons are abreast of the latest techniques in hernia repair.
2. Multi-Locations throughout Southern California - Convenient for the patient.
3. Centralized Service - One call to our corporate office will accommodate your hernia needs at the location of your choice.
4. Multi-Lingual Staff & Surgeons - English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Taiwanese, Tagalog and Korean.
5. Discounted Global Rate Program - This provides a significant savings to the patient by paying a global rate that includes surgeon, anesthesiologist and facility costs in one bill.
6. Free Transportation provided for the day of surgery.

For more information, or to schedule an appointment with the Hernia Network, please contact us.