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Solicitors Helpline 1800 633 090
A hernia occurs in the abdominal or inguinal region and involves having a weakness or hole in the muscle that is supposed to prevent abdominal contents from passing through the muscle, protected only by skin, fat and soft tissue. Hernias can be small or can be a threat to life, depending on conditions. Severe organ damage can occur if the organ is constricted within the hernia defect. In such cases, emergency surgery is necessary in order to fix the problem before gangrene of the tissue or organ occurs.
There are several different kinds of hernias, each with their own techniques for repair and some with unique complications. These are the most common types of hernias by location:
Some hernias alter in size whenever there is a change in abdominal pressure. This would happen in cases of sneezing, crying or coughing. Bearing down can change the abdominal pressure. The hernia can stick out during these times but go back in when the abdominal pressure is low. A hernia that is stuck out permanently is known as an irreducible hernia. It is also called an incarcerated hernia and may need emergency surgery if it is strangulating the contents of the hernia. You can be born with a hernia, known as a congenital hernia, and you can have an acquired hernia.
Hernias that are severely painful and that have an interrupted blood flow to the external contents are considered emergencies. The overlying skin is dusky in color or is red and purple in color. Surgery to repair the hernia and remove any gangrenous parts is necessary on an emergency basis.
Certain types of hernia are preventable. One of these is the incisional hernia. The fascia and muscle needs to be properly cared for in order to prevent an incisional hernia. You should hold your hand over a fresh incision whenever you cough or sneeze. There are abdominal bands you can wear to keep the abdominal contents stable. Don’t lift heavy objects.
If you must lift heavy objects, you need to use your leg muscles to lift the objects instead of the back muscles. You can give yourself an inguinal or ventral hernia just by lifting inappropriately.
The complication rate of hernias depends on its size and location. If you have an incisional hernia, your rate of hernia is about 13 percent. With inguinal hernias, the rate is about 10 percent. The bulk of complications occurs just after surgery and don’t lead to permanent damage. The main symptoms of this type of hernia are pain, problems urinating and superficial infection at the incisional site. Some patients have more severe complications, such as deep vein blood clots and serious breathing problems like pneumonia. There can be long term complications, including scar pain, extra tissue formation and hernia recurrence.
There are differences between complications from open hernia surgery and laparoscopic surgery to repair hernias. Laparoscopic hernias have more anesthetic complications because the procedure takes longer to repair. Open surgeries take longer to heal because the incision is longer and there is more pain following an open hernia repair. The complications of bleeding and infection happen less often with a laparoscopic repair. Prolonged immobility can cause blood clots in the deep veins, pulmonary embolism and increased risk of pneumonia.
Complications of inguinal hernias include having damage to the spermatic cord and other respiratory organs. The scrotum in some cases may turn black and blue with shrinkage of the testicles.
Recurrences are the most likely complications. Recurrences of incisional hernias are 3.4 percent if the procedure is laparoscopic and between 25 and 52 percent, if the procedure is open. Ten percent of inguinal hernias in adults tend to recur. Recurrences are less common in children.
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