A hernia occurs when tissue pushes through an outer muscle or connective layer. They can range in severity from asymptomatic to life-threatening, so it’s important to know what you’re dealing with if you suspect you’re dealing with a hernia. It’s a very common condition, as US surgeons perform more than one million hernia repair procedures each year.
When a patient at our clinic is diagnosed with a hernia, one of the first questions they often ask is if the problem will resolve without surgery. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at how hernias are typically treated and whether or not you can avoid surgery.
Will My Hernia Go Away?
When a hernia first develops, oftentimes symptoms and discomfort are minimal or mild. There are cases where immediate medical attention is required, but for many, their symptoms are rather tame and they may even confuse the injury with a muscle strain. Because it doesn’t seem serious right away, many people hope that their hernia will be minimal and symptoms will resolve on their own.
Unfortunately, that’s not typically the case. While symptoms can remain mild for an extended period of time, the tissue isn’t going to retract back through the muscle wall so that the break can heal itself. Over time, the hole in the muscle wall only tends to get bigger, which brings with it more pain and discomfort. You may be able to avoid it for a while, but eventually, the vast majority of people need to undergo surgery for their hernia.
Aside from the fact that symptoms tend to get worse, the main reason it needs to be surgically corrected is because the problem can cause serious health issues if left untreated for too long. If the hernia worsens, the intestinal tissue can become trapped or strangulated, leading to pain, nausea, vomiting and even life-threatening gangrene.
Minimally Invasive Hernia Surgery
This may not be the news you hoped to hear, but the good news is that surgery is rather straightforward and can oftentimes be performed using minimally invasive techniques. The surgeon will make a small incision above the hernia in order to access the area. From there, the tissue will be pushed back through the opening before the hole is close with surgical mesh or another reinforcing material. The surgeon then removes their tools and closes the incision site before sending the patient off to a recovery ward.
These minimally invasive surgical techniques really help to reduce the likelihood of complications during and after the procedure. Minimally invasive hernia repair reduces blood loss, limits damage to surrounding tissue and leads to quicker recovery times for the patient. This is the standard method we use at our clinic, and we’d be happy to walk you through the procedure and your expected recovery if you need to have a hernia repaired.
Minnesota Hernia Surgeons
So if you have been diagnosed with a hernia or you suspect that you may be dealing with one, know that you’ll likely need to have it surgically corrected by a specialist. The team at Bhatti Surgery can cover all aspects of your care and make sure the problem is quickly and safely corrected. For more information, or to talk to a specialist about any questions or concerns you have, reach out to our clinic today at 952-368-3800.
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