Guest guest Posted September 28, 2001 Report Share Posted September 28, 2001 For those of you wanting to know about a hernia. 1. What is a hernia? Think of it this way. Think of your hernia as a bulge in a tire. The outer wall of the tire is like your abdominal wall. The inner tube of the tire is like your intestines Most of the time the outer wall of the tire is strong enough to hold the inner tube, but if the wall weakens, a bulge may occur. Just like a hernia may form in a weakness in the abdominal wall. 2. What does a hernia feel like? A hernia can be both seen and felt. You may notice it as a lump in your abdomen or groin that may or may not disappear when you lie down. You also may be aware of a dull aching sensation that becomes more pronounced when you are active. 3. Why does a hernia hurt? The discomfort you feel - especially when you cough, lift something heavy, or stand for a long time - comes from the constant pressure of tissue pushing its way through the weakened spot in your body. As more tissue pushes through the weakened area, the feeling of pressure increases. A hernia that develops or worsens quickly can produce a sudden intense pain as it enlarges. 4. Who gets hernias? According to the National Center for Health Statistics, approximately five million Americans have hernias. Hernias in the groin area (inguinal hernias) are most common in men, primarily because of the unsupported space left in the groin after the testicles descend into the scrotum. Hernias in the femoral area, at the top of the thigh, occur most often in women. They commonly result from pregnancy and childbirth. 5. Will my hernia go away? An untreated hernia will not get better on its own, although it may not get worse for months or even years. A hernia that can be easily pushed back or flattened (reducible hernia) is generally not an immediate danger to your health, although it can be painful. A non-reducible hernia, however, can become life-threatening if part of the intestine gets trapped, or strangulated, in the opening. This is also called an incarcerated hernia and in an emergency situation may require immediate surgery. 6. What can I do to feel better? Limiting activity or eliminating excess weight may provide temporary relief. Wearing a truss or binder has also offered temporary relief. The only cure, however, is surgery. There are two reasons for hernia surgery: to correct or prevent a dangerous strangulated hernia, and to eliminate the pain that may be interfering with your normal activity. Although there are always risks and side effects associated with surgery, today's surgical techniques provide patients with treatment options that offer minimal post-operative discomfort, speedy recovery, and lasting relief. 7. Is surgery for me? Whether you should have surgery is a question only your doctor can help you answer. Your doctor can tell you more about your condition and treatment options for painful and life-threatening hernias. There is no need to suffer in silence. Your doctor is there to help. 8. How long will the surgical procedure take? This is something you should discuss with your physician. Newer techniques such as the PerFix® plug repair (25 minutes on average) and the KugelTM Patch repair (45 minutes on average) are relatively quick procedures that can be done on an outpatient basis. 9. How soon after surgery can I go home? Most patients are able to go home 1-2 hours after surgery with the PerFix plug or Kugel Patch hernia repair technique. 10. How soon after surgery can I return to my normal activities? With the PerFix plug hernia repair, patients are able to return to normal activities within an average of 3 days. Patients with the Kugel Patch repair typically return to normal activity within 1 week. 11. What are the chances my hernia will come back? The chances that your hernia will recur following the PerFix plug or Kugel Patch repair is less than 1% Angels hover ever near, DS 4/11/01 Bowel obstruction 4/21/01 Dr Deveney @ OHSU Starting wt 282, BMI 47 Current wt 222, BMI 37 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 29, 2001 Report Share Posted September 29, 2001 Thanks for the info! I wanted to add a quick note about location. At first my WLS and other docs didn't think mine was a hernia because the bulge starts about 2-3 inches below my breast and ends just above my navel. The CT scan ended the debate whether it was just gas causing some swelling. Mine started out as a little bulge but is now the size of a honeydew melon or volleyball. Without my abdominal binder (which I have worn faithfully) it looks like I'm about eight months pregnant. With my binder it just looks about six months. My coworker, who also had the DS, has a hernia in the exact location. Fortunately, it is not bothering her at all. Later, > For those of you wanting to know about a hernia. > 1. What is a hernia? > > Think of it this way. > > Think of your hernia as a bulge in a tire. The outer wall of the tire is like your abdominal wall. The inner tube of the tire is like your intestines Most of the time the outer wall of the tire is strong enough to hold the inner tube, but if the wall weakens, a bulge may occur. Just like a hernia may form in a weakness in the abdominal wall. > > 2. What does a hernia feel like? > > A hernia can be both seen and felt. You may notice it as a lump in your abdomen or groin that may or may not disappear when you lie down. You also may be aware of a dull aching sensation that becomes more pronounced when you are active. > > 3. Why does a hernia hurt? > > The discomfort you feel - especially when you cough, lift something heavy, or stand for a long time - comes from the constant pressure of tissue pushing its way through the weakened spot in your body. As more tissue pushes through the weakened area, the feeling of pressure increases. A hernia that develops or worsens quickly can produce a sudden intense pain as it enlarges. > > > > 4. Who gets hernias? > > According to the National Center for Health Statistics, approximately five million Americans have hernias. Hernias in the groin area (inguinal hernias) are most common in men, primarily because of the unsupported space left in the groin after the testicles descend into the scrotum. Hernias in the femoral area, at the top of the thigh, occur most often in women. They commonly result from pregnancy and childbirth. > > 5. Will my hernia go away? > > An untreated hernia will not get better on its own, although it may not get worse for months or even years. A hernia that can be easily pushed back or flattened (reducible hernia) is generally not an immediate danger to your health, although it can be painful. A non- reducible hernia, however, can become life-threatening if part of the intestine gets trapped, or strangulated, in the opening. This is also called an incarcerated hernia and in an emergency situation may require immediate surgery. > > > > > > > > 6. What can I do to feel better? > > Limiting activity or eliminating excess weight may provide temporary relief. Wearing a truss or binder has also offered temporary relief. The only cure, however, is surgery. There are two reasons for hernia surgery: to correct or prevent a dangerous strangulated hernia, and to eliminate the pain that may be interfering with your normal activity. Although there are always risks and side effects associated with surgery, today's surgical techniques provide patients with treatment options that offer minimal post-operative discomfort, speedy recovery, and lasting relief. > > 7. Is surgery for me? > > Whether you should have surgery is a question only your doctor can help you answer. Your doctor can tell you more about your condition and treatment options for painful and life-threatening hernias. There is no need to suffer in silence. Your doctor is there to help. > > 8. How long will the surgical procedure take? > > This is something you should discuss with your physician. Newer techniques such as the PerFix® plug repair (25 minutes on average) and the KugelTM Patch repair (45 minutes on average) are relatively quick procedures that can be done on an outpatient basis. > > 9. How soon after surgery can I go home? > > Most patients are able to go home 1-2 hours after surgery with the PerFix plug or Kugel Patch hernia repair technique. > > 10. How soon after surgery can I return to my normal activities? > > With the PerFix plug hernia repair, patients are able to return to normal activities within an average of 3 days. Patients with the Kugel Patch repair typically return to normal activity within 1 week. > > 11. What are the chances my hernia will come back? > > The chances that your hernia will recur following the PerFix plug or Kugel Patch repair is less than 1% > > Angels hover ever near, > > DS 4/11/01 > Bowel obstruction 4/21/01 > Dr Deveney @ OHSU > Starting wt 282, BMI 47 > Current wt 222, BMI 37 > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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