We can imagine a bathtub. When we put the rubber stopper at the outlet and fill it with water, the water pressure pushes the stopper in place and keeps it fixed there. The more the water, the firmer is the stopper. Now, if we were to put the stopper from the outside. Then the water pressure in the tub is going to push the stopper out as the pressure increases. This is Pascal's law. The same scenario can be imagined with placing a mesh on the hole where the hernia is.

The laparoscopic herniorrhaphy generally takes an hour or two to perform, and most patient are able to return home within 48 hours of the surgery.

The hernia can be repaired by either conventional or laparoscopic methods. Incisional Herniorrhaphy is a common operation that general surgeons perform. Laparoscopic Herniorrhaphy is being done at a time when Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy has shown definite benefits over the open technique.

MIP for ventral hernia repair has significant benefits over conventional surgery. These benefits include a shorter hospital stay and smaller incisions - so you can get back to your life sooner.

You may have swelling or discoloration in the incision which may go into the groin and genital area several days after surgery. This should resolve within 7 to 21 days. There are no restrictions as to sexual activity as long as no discomfort occurs.

A hernia, an abnormal bulging of the internal organs, can develop in many areas of the body, but it often develops in the intestine.

The majority of hiatal hernias can be repaired successfully with a laparoscopy. However, if the patient has had prior upper abdominal operations, than the surgeon may be unable to see the anatomy clearly with the laparoscope. It may be difficult, to repair an extremely large hiatal hernia using the laparoscopic technique. In these situation it may be necessary to convert the laparoscopic procedure into open.

Today surgical techniques are available that cause much less pain and discomfort than ever before. Fortunately, hernias and weakened LES are conditions that can be treated with this new technology. In fact, use of these new techniques has been so successful with hernia repairs, that most persons are only out of work for 7 to 10 days and are eating and functioning normally in three weeks. During the surgery, you will be given an anesthetic to insure you have no discomfort.

About an hour to an hour and one half; the time can differ slightly from person to person. Dr. McKernan has performed over 700 cases and his average surgical time is 81 minutes, with 95% of patient leaving for home the morning after surgery.

Inguinal hernias are usually repaired with a small open incision directly over the hernia bulging mass using a Non-tension technique. Dr. Garza prefers the Prolene® Hernia System on Inguinal hernias. Epigastric, Ventral, Incisional or Recurrent Hernias are usually best repaired with a Laparoscope in which a small camera is inserted and the hernia patch is applied from the inside with a Non-tension technique.

Translated from the Greek, "Laparoscopy" means examination of the abdomen with a scope, which is also known as an Endoscope. If the procedure is done in the chest it is known as Thoracoscopy. An Endoscope in the bladder is cystoscopy and in the uterus is hysteroscopy and so on. The other terms used are key-hole surgery and laser surgery. Explaining laparoscopic surgery is best accomplished by comparing it to traditional surgery.

Unless you are a doctor, do not try self-diagnosis. The reasons are many, including that there are several possible symptoms, some or none - or any mixture of which you may have and may detect. However, what you have might be something else entirely and by you thinking (perhaps incorrectly) that you can diagnose it as a hernia, you may be putting something else at great risk of going untreated - perhaps with dangerous consequences.

It was bound to happen to me eventually - inguinal hernias are often congenital. My dad had an inguinal hernia on both sides, and he never lifted anything heavier than a beer. Heavy weight training may have caused it to happen a little sooner, but it would have happened eventually even if I had continued to live a sedentary lifestyle. Being in good shape allowed for a very quick recovery - my surgeon was impressed! Back to index People who work out and lift weights are compensating.

A ventral hernia usually occurs in the abdominal wall because of a weakening due to a previous surgical incision. The result is a bulge or tear in the abdominal wall that allows a balloon-like sac to form in the weakened area.

All the names of the different hernias really relate only to where they are on the body, a rough guide to which is shown here. Spigelian hernia is much less common than others, but is - nevertheless - still a hernia in the abdominal wall, slightly to the side of the upper abdomen. It is, like the others, an opening of a 'window' in the wall tissue which needs to be closed by surgery.