There are few options available for a patient who has a hernia.
- Use of a truss (hernia belt) is rarely prescribed as it is usually ineffective.
- Most hernias require a surgical procedure.
- Surgical procedures are done in one of two fashions.
I. The open approach is done from the outside through a three to four inch incision in the groin or the area of the hernia. The incision will extend through the skin, subcutaneous fat, and allow the surgeon to get to the level of the defect. The surgeon may choose to use a small piece of surgical mesh to repair the defect or hole. This technique is usually done with a local anesthetic and sedation but may be performed using a spinal or general anesthetic.
II. The laparoscopic hernia repair. In this approach, a laparoscope (a small telescope) connected to a special camera is inserted through a cannula, a small hollow tube, allowing the surgeon to view the hernia and surrounding tissue on a video screen.
Other cannulas are inserted which allow your surgeon to work “inside.” Two small incisions are usually necessary. The hernia is repaired from behind the abdominal wall. A small piece of surgical mesh is placed over the hernia defect and held in place with small surgical staples. This operation is usually performed with general anesthesia or occasionally using regional or spinal anesthesia.