Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility Time is of the Essence if You Think You Might Have a Hernia
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Anyone who has had the experience will tell you, hernias are no joke. Carolyn Kimmel of Penn Live hammers this point home in a recent article titled “If you suspect you have a hernia, docs warn not to wait before having it checked out.

Kimmel writes, “About 5 million Americans every year are affected by hernias, which go by many different names depending on where they are located. Initial symptoms are pain and often a bulge that can be felt. Hernias frequently show up in the groin, the navel or at a previous surgical site. Hernias occur when a force too strong for the body’s tissue to withstand ends up causing part of an internal organ or tissue to bulge through the weakened area, said Dr. Joseph Esposito, general surgeon with PinnacleHealth Surgical Associates. ‘This results in a hole in, usually, the abdominal wall, but it can happen anywhere, even through the diaphragm, which is called a hiatal hernia,’ Esposito said.”

Kimmel goes on to address complications that can arise while you’re waiting to see if you actually have a hernia. She writes, “While watchful waiting is fine for some hernias that don’t cause pain, there are complications that can arise. If the tissue or intestine gets stuck and cannot be pushed back, an incarcerated hernia can occur. If the intestine becomes incarcerated, it can twist and obstruct the bowel. An incarcerated hernia becomes strangulated if it loses blood supply, which is a definite surgical emergency, Kunkel said. Hernias are generally fixed in one of two ways, either open surgery or laparoscopically. Robotic surgery is sometimes an option as well.”

She goes on to note that there isn’t much to prevent hernias. If you notice a bulge, don’t wait more than a day or so to get it checked out, she writes.

In order to correct a hernia, you might need abdomen reconstruction surgery. When it comes to abdomen reconstruction surgery, you can trust Rex E. Moulton-Barrett, M.D. Dr. Moulton-Barrett is internationally recognized and acknowledged. He holds the rare distinction of being board certified in two distinct surgical specialties, The American Board of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and The American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

With abdomen reconstruction surgery, you can expect a 2 to 7 hour procedure. We make incisions on the abdomen and the abdominal muscles are then mobilized and repositioned to shape the abdominal wall. In the event that layers of tissue are compacted, as in a hernia, the doctor uses special techniques to shift them and spread them out, allowing a tension free closure of the hernia. After that, a synthetic or biological mesh is inserted in the abdominal cavity. The incisions are closed over this mesh with non-absorbable sutures.

If you’re looking into abdomen reconstruction surgery, contact us for a consultation.