What is Hernia

A hernia is a weakness in the muscles which form the front of the body wall. Usually, the bowel, and more rarely other organs, can push through this weak spot and create a bulge in the area. Sometimes there are more than one. It is usually caused by the body wall being weak from birth. Sometimes the body wall weakens with the passing of time. Sometimes the body is overstrained by coughing, heavy work or sport, etc. Hernias are very common and are easily treated. If left untreated they get bigger and cause pain. More dangerously, the bowel can sometimes get trapped in the weak spot of the muscles. This can cause a blockage of the bowel, which can eventually cause it to become strangulated. An emergency operation is then required to deal with the problem.

The Operation

You can be given a local or a general anaesthetic. The choice depends partly on which you prefer, and partly on what your Anaesthetist and Surgeon think is best. The vast majority of operations for hernia repair are carried out under general anaesthetic. In some cases when the hernia is relatively small and your general medical condition does not allow you to tolerate the stress of a general anaesthetic, the operation can be done under local anaesthetic. Having a general anaesthetic means that you will be completely asleep during the operation. Having a local anaesthetic means that you will be awake during the operation, you will feel that something is being done at the area of the operation but will not feel pain. A cut is made into the skin overlying the hernia. The bulge is pushed back or is cut off. The weak part is mended/closed and strengthened, usually with strong stitches. Another alternative is to patch the weak spot with a piece of synthetic material. This is usually done when the tissues around the weak spot are not strong enough to be stitched up together with strong stitches or when the weak spot is so big that it is impossible to close it just by using stitches. The synthetic patch is placed on top of the weak spot and is stitched to the healthy tissues around it. Soon, a lot of scarred tissue develops above and under the patch which makes it very strong and doesn't allow the hernia to come back again. The cut in the skin is then closed up.