Hernia affects 15%-20% of the general population. The prevalence of inguinal hernia in India is estimated to be 1.5 to 2 million . Inguinal hernia is more common in men than women.

“They’re one of the most common surgical problems I see,” said Dr. Shashank Shourabh, Acute Care Surgeon at Tabiyat Theek Medical & Surgical Center, “I see many patients that come to my office for a hernia consultation, and it’s also very frequent in the emergency room for patients needing emergency surgery.”

The severity of hernias can vary greatly, as can the cause and type of hernia. Most common causes of hernia in India are:

• Lifting heavy weights

• Altered Bowel Movements (Constipation)

• Long Duration Cough (COPD)

• previous history of C-Section in women

So, in simple terms whenever you strain on weak abdominal or pelvic muscles , they give away forming different types of hernia. Hernias also can be congenital, meaning the condition exists from birth. Congenital hernias can include belly button or umbilical hernias, and groin or inguinal hernias.

Symptoms

1. Newly discovered lump in the abdominal wall or groin

2. Pain at suspected hernia site

3. Bowel obstruction coinciding with the lump

4. Groin or swelling of the scrotum

How to identify if you have a HERNIA?

Most simple way to differentiate any common swelling from a hernia is to keep your index finger over the swelling, press down slightly and cough a few times. Now if you can feel that something is coming from inside and the swelling is increasing in size and again reducing.....you might have an early stage hernia. But unfortunately in more advanced cases or in certain types of hernia such as inguinal hernia, you might not be able to assess your hernia yourself, where you certainly need a clinical examination by our expert doctors.

Prevention of Hernia Risk Factors

To prevent occurrence of hernia there are a few basic precautions you can take,

1. Avoid lifting heavy weights.

2. Regular walking and exercise.

3. Kegel Exercises.

4. Wearing Waist belts.

"HERNIA" is it an EMERGENCY??

In early cases it's obviously not an emergency, but guys don't ignore it because over time it turns into a life threatening emergency. Now the question you might have is : How can hernia be an emergency? So to answer that... If a hernia is left untreated, it can become strangulated (i.e. cut-off of blood supply to the herniated content usually part of gut) and require emergency surgery. An incarcerated hernia occurs when the protruding organ or fat becomes pinched so tightly that it cannot be pushed back into the abdomen or groin.

Caring for our Elderly with Hernia!

Yes, you read it right ..... Elderly men are at an enhanced risk for hernia, especially inguinal hernia. This is mainly because their muscle tone deteriorates due to age related factors. On top of that they are shy to report their discomfort and pain.

So ensure you have a healthy relationship with your elderly parents or grandparents , so that they share about it in time, so that it doesn't turn into an emergent condition.

Regular annual physical examination and timely surgical consultation can help prevent any complications. The longer you wait, the larger a hernia can get and the more difficult it is to repair. If it’s small, it’s easy to fix, but if it gets larger, the more complications you can have.

How are hernias Repaired?

As we discussed earlier, Hernias are basically a defect in our abdominal wall, so to treat it effectively......the wall needs to be repaired. Hernias typically are repaired using a synthetic or biologic mesh to patch the defect in the abdominal wall.

The mesh acts as a bridge to cover the hernia or the hole in the fascia. The mesh can be inserted using different surgical techniques, but the preferred methods are laparoscopic or robotic surgery. Both are minimally invasive, meaning shorter healing time, a decreased risk of infection and less scarring. Now let's discuss about the treatment options you should know about.

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