What are the best treatment options for inguinal hernia?

Relieve your pain by considering some treatment options for inguinal hernia

Although hernias are not likely to cause serious harm, that doesn’t mean you should underestimate their consequences. Untreated hernias keep increasing in size and become harder to manage, uncomfortable, painful, and in the worst case, life-threatening. Moreover, reducing physical activity can reduce the severity of hernia symptoms, but it cannot heal independently. Therefore, laparoscopic surgery is one of the only effective treatment options for inguinal hernia.

What is inguinal hernia?

An inguinal hernia is a condition when abdominal content, such as part of the small intestine, bulges through the weak spot in the lower abdominal muscles. With time, this bulge increases in size and causes potentially severe complications. The lump that results from this condition can be painful.

An inguinal hernia usually starts as a lump in the groin area. Hernias can push back or reduce, but this requires lying flat. The size of inguinal hernias changes with activity and generally will pop out in case of strenuous exercise or by lifting heavy objects.

The condition of the inguinal hernia is not necessarily threatening, but it will not improve on its own. And it can cause serious complications that require immediate surgery. So, if your hernia is painful, instantly call your healthcare professional. The doctor will likely suggest surgery to fix an inguinal hernia that is enlarging and becoming more painful. If a hernia is left untreated without any symptoms, 75% of individuals will likely develop some symptoms. So, you should consult different treatment options for inguinal hernia at the early stages.

Symptoms of inguinal hernia

Signs and symptoms of inguinal hernia include:

• A bulge or lump in the groin region that becomes more prominent when you are upright or in case of coughing or straining.
• Burning sensation at the site of the bulge
• Pain and discomfort in the groin, especially while bending over, coughing, or lifting heavy stuff
• A heavy sensation and pressure in the groin
• Occasionally, you will have pain and swelling around the testicle area when the bulging small intestine descends into the scrotum.

Signs of the condition getting worse

If the patient cannot push the hernia in, it means the contents of the bulge of the hernia are stuck in the abdominal wall. If this happens, the blood supply to the abdominal tissues and intestines cuts off, known as strangulated hernia, which can be life-threatening. In any case, treatment options for inguinal hernia should be considered early to avoid complications.

Some signs of strangulated hernia are:

• Vomiting and nausea
• Fever
• Pain that intensifies quickly
• Hernia lump that turns purple or red
• Difficulty in passing gas and in bowel movement

Treatment options for inguinal hernia

Hernia surgery is a standard procedure that surgeons practice to treat this condition.

Two general types of hernia repair operations are:

• Laparoscopic inguinal hernia procedure

Laparoscopic inguinal hernia surgery is the least invasive operation that requires general anesthesia. In this surgery, the surgeons make several small incisions in the abdomen. And then, they insert a small tube with a tiny camera, known as a laparoscope, into the incision.

The camera guides the surgeons during surgery, and they insert tiny instruments through other incisions too. With the help of these instruments, the surgeons do the laparoscopic repair of hernia with synthetic mesh.

• Open inguinal hernia surgery

In an open inguinal hernia procedure, the surgeons make a cut in the groin and push the bulging content back to the abdomen. The surgeons then sew the weak abdominal area and often do it with a synthetic mesh. Then close the opening with stitches, surgical glue, or staples.

Surgeons perform this surgery under sedation, local anesthesia, or general anesthesia. After this procedure, the patient should move as soon as possible, but they can resume normal activities after several weeks. So, this procedure is a good option for patients with a high risk of complications because of general anesthesia.

According to research, both treatment options for inguinal hernia surgery show excellent results. But laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair has some advantages over open hernia surgery.

Advantages of laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair

The laparoscopic groin or inguinal hernia repair has many advantages compared to the open inguinal hernia repair technique. Some of these advantages are:

• Smaller incisions result in less scarring.
• This procedure has less post-operative pain, swelling, and discomfort. It is also associated with less trauma to the wall of the abdomen, which decreases post-operative complications and morbidity.
• It offers faster recovery time.
• Patients also return to work and have regular routines quickly.
• Due to small incisions, people who choose laparoscopic procedures experience fewer wound-healing complications such as infection and wound separation.
• During laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair, the surgeon also finds and repairs the hernia on the opposite side.

Recovery

After the laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair with synthetic mesh, many patients can go home the same day, but full recovery takes about four to six weeks. Also, surgeons usually recommend that patients only do necessary work right after the operation but can resume light activity after a couple of weeks. They insist patients do not lift anything for the first week of recovery.

The patients will likely feel pain and discomfort near the hernia mesh site and swelling in the first few days. However, these symptoms fade gradually over the few weeks of recovery. Moreover, following the instructions after hernia mesh surgery gives the patient a straightforward path to a safe and quick recovery.

Conclusion

Hernia repair surgery is the best treatment for hernia. Hernia is a condition where abdominal material bulges through a tinny hole in the abdominal wall. It is essential to consider treatment options for inguinal hernia repair as soon as possible to avoid complications. At ALSA Pakistan, one of the best laparoscopic surgeons uses advanced techniques to treat inguinal hernias. They also have experienced staff who provide the best care possible to their patients. The inguinal hernia surgery cost in Pakistan depends on the severity of the disorder and the type of surgical procedure used in the surgery. Also, if your surgeon has suggested hernia mesh repair, hernia surgery costs in Pakistan are very affordable than in other countries.