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Hernias
By the term hernia we mean the projection of the contents of the abdomen (most commonly intestine or omentum) through a hole in the abdominal wall. There are parts in the human body that are more prone to pressure and lose their “power” more easily. Thus, hernias protrude through these weak parts of the abdominal wall. Hernia is a very common condition that affects a large percentage of the population. It is the most common reason for surgical treatment today. Only in the U.S. more than 1 million cases per year are treated surgically. More than 20 million surgeries are performed worldwide every year for inguinal hernia.
Hernias are now treated with modern methods of laparoscopic surgery with excellent results and the patient immediately returns to his activities. It must be emphasized that the time of surgical repair of the hernia is of great importance as the delay in surgery can have bad consequences for the patient’s health. Hernias that are operated on while the bowel has been strangulated have a 7% mortality rate. It is therefore particularly important to quickly diagnose and treat the hernia.
Diagnosing a hernia is usually an easy task. With the clinical examination in the vast majority of cases the General Surgeon will be able to make a diagnosis. In rare cases, a soft tissue ultrasound scan , CT or MRI scan of the area may be needed.
Causes
Hereditary predisposition
Obesity
Weight lifting
Constipation
Disturbance in the synthesis-degradation balance of collagen
Chronic cough
Previous surgeries
Smoking
Pregnancy
Patients undergoing dialysis
Chronic respiratory lung disease
Symptoms
Hernia symptoms vary. Many times hernias are asymptomatic for a long time. They often appear with local bulging and often cause pain. Many times when the hernias are small they are not noticed by the patient and are only detected during the clinical examination by a specialized General Surgeon. It should be emphasized that a small hernia can be more dangerous for the patient. The reason is that these hernias have a small gap and can more easily cause strangulation of the internal organs. So if the content of the hernia includes intestine then it is in danger of becomimg necrotic in 6 hours and surgery becomes an emergency. In order to avoid the above unpleasant situations, every diagnosed hernia must be booked for elective surgical repair. Depending on the condition the hernia is , it can give us symptoms that include pain, vomiting, discomfort and inability to open bowels or pass gas.
Treatment
The treatment of hernias is exclusively surgical and belongs to the competence of the General Surgeon. Nowadays, the operation of choice is laparoscopic reconstruction. In all specialized centers abroad, the laparoscopic treatment of hernias has been established and has replaced the classic open approach.
The advantages of laparoscopic treatment are:
Significantly less postoperative pain
Lower rates of chronic pain compared to the open method
Faster recovery and immediate return to work and daily activities
Better cosmetic result as large incisions are avoided
Lower recurrence rates compared to the open method according to international literature
Hernias: Categories
Depending on their location, hernias are divided into the following categories, which are usually treated laparoscopically by Dr. Kyritsis Alexandros, General Surgeon.
Inguinal hernia
Femoral hernia
Umbilical hernia
Epigastric and postoperative hernia
Hiatal hernia
Spiegel hernia
Sport’s hernia