A hernia is a medical condition in which tissues of an organ bulge, get displaced, and push through an opening in the tissue or muscle in the wall of the cavity containing it. There are a number of variations of hernia. Women majorly witness umbilical and femoral hernias. Whereas, inguinal hernias are found mostly in males.
Types of hernia
There’re a number of variations of hernia. Most the types of hernia include –
- Inguinal hernia – in this variation of hernia, part of the small intestine protrudes through a tear or weak portion of the abdomen into the groin region. This type of hernia is found mostly in men.
- Femoral hernia – in this variation of hernia, fatty tissues push through the femoral canal in the upper part of the thigh just below the inguinal ligament near the groin. This type of hernia often occurs in women.
- Incisional hernia – an incisional hernia can occur when abdominal contents push through a surgical incision in the abdomen. Obese people are mostly affected by this hernia variant.
- Umbilical hernia – an umbilical hernia occurs when part of the intestine pushes through the umbilical opening or belly button, resulting in a bulge or swelling near the naval.
- Hiatal hernia – in the hiatal hernia condition, part of the stomach protrudes up through the hiatus, commonly known as the diaphragm.
- Epigastric hernia – as the name suggests, this type of hernia occurs in the epigastric region, which means above the navel and below the sternum of the rib cage in the abdominal wall.
- Spigelian hernia – this type of hernia occurs when part of the intestine pushes through the abdominal wall in the lower quadrant area mainly towards the stomach and underneath the naval.
- Muscle hernia – when muscle attempts to protrude through the abdominal walls due to any injury causes a muscle hernia.
Symptoms of hernia
The main indication of hernia is a lump in the affected part which can be detected in most cases by touching, but not possible in all cases. Othe major symptoms of hernia include –
- Swelling, discomfort, and pain
- Feeling pressure, weakness, and heaviness
- A gurgling and burning sensation
- Acid reflux
- Chest pain
- Trouble breathing or swallowing
What are the surgery options available for hernia treatment?
A surgeon may perform a hernia surgery procedure in 2 different ways depending on the condition and incisions’ size, either laparoscopic surgery or open surgery.
Laparoscopic hernia surgery – laparoscopic surgery is considered the minimally invasive hernia repair as the procedure is less damaging to the surrounding portion. Laparoscopic hernia surgery is performed using a laparoscope, a thin, telescope-like instrument. In this surgical procedure, a laparoscope is inserted through a small incision into the abdomen to visualize the defect and repairing process on a monitor.
Open hernia surgery – in an open hernia surgical procedure, doctors open the abdomen near to the affected site and then push the displaced tissue back into the place in the abdomen, sometimes with a surgical mesh.
Laparoscopic surgery doesn’t fit to all hernia conditions. Doctors carefully analyze the condition and recommend an individualized treatment plan according to complexity of the disease.
