Many people are able to delay surgery for months or even years. And some people may never need surgery for a small hernia. If the hernia is small and you don't have any symptoms, or if the symptoms don't bother you much, you and your doctor may simply continue to watch for symptoms to occur.
Take good care of yourself in the days/weeks leading up to your surgery. Eat well, stay hydrated, exercise at levels that do not cause excessive pain to the hernia and get plenty of sleep. Remember #1 — try to keep a positive outlook – over 1 million people go through hernia surgery each year in the US.
What Happens if I Delay Hernia Surgery Repair? “Even if you aren't having any problems with it – with normal wear and tear, exercising, lifting, physical activity or pregnancies – that small hernia, over time, will start to become larger,” Dr. Donovan points out. “A larger hernia is harder to repair.”
If this condition is left untreated longer than 6 hours, incarcerated hernia can cut off blood flow to part of the intestine, resulting in strangulated hernia.
One of the reasons surgeons prefer to repair a hernia early is so that serious complications can be avoided. These may include intestinal tissue getting trapped after it is pushed outside of its usual cavity.
Seek immediate medical attention if there are signs that your hernia has become stuck or strangulated, which can be life-threatening and usually requires emergency surgery. Signs of this condition include: A hernia bulge that is suddenly larger than before.
You can get it surgically repaired, but it becomes an emergency if it becomes what's called an incarcerated hernia. And that's a strangulated hernia. So that's when you get enough of this stuff outside of the abdomen that the blood supply gets cut off to it.
If a hernia is painful or large, your doctor may suggest you see a surgeon for advice. You may need surgery to repair the hernia. If your doctor can't massage the intestine back into the abdomen, that means it's trapped. A trapped intestine is dangerous because its blood supply can be cut off or strangulated.
Seek immediate care if a hernia bulge turns red, purple or dark or if you notice any other signs or symptoms of a strangulated hernia. See your doctor if you have a painful or noticeable bulge in your groin on either side of your pubic bone.
How long can you live with a hernia? The absolute answer is that it is “unpredictable.” Some can live with a hernia for their whole life while others will develop a hernia related emergency within months of the development of their hernia.
Hernia Surgery Preparation
Preoperative preparation includes blood work, medical evaluation, chest x-ray and an EKG depending on your age and medical condition. After your surgeon reviews with you the potential risks and benefits of the operation, you will need to provide written consent for surgery.
Overall, the risk for complications in inguinal hernia repair is low (2.9–8%).
Symptoms of a hernia in need of emergency treatment include: Severe pain, swelling or redness at the hernia site. Hernia bulge growing quickly. Nausea and/or vomiting.
It's best to stick to low-impact activities prior to surgery to avoid making your hernia worse. We suggest: Swimming. Walking.
Hernia repair surgery normally only requires a 23-hour or less stay. Most patients go home the same day. Abdominal wall hernia repairs may require up to a two-day hospital stay due to the internal stitches and healing that is required.
First, many hernias are asymptomatic, meaning they show no bulge and do not cause any pain. Therefore, patients may never know they exist. Other times, a hernia may be known, but for some reason or other, the patient ultimately decides not to have it repaired.
As the bulge increases, this pain tends to be more intense. As the bulge reduces, and the contents of the hernia fall back into the abdominal cavity itself, the pain reduces or perhaps even disappears, only to recur again as the hernia once again protrudes. The character of the pain varies.
If you had surgery to repair a hernia and are still having pain after three months, it's time to talk with your surgeon, Dr. Krpata says. Your surgeon should consider all possible treatment options to determine which is best for relieving your pain.
Inguinal hernias are dangerous because they tend to keep getting larger and your intestine can get trapped inside the bulge and lose its blood supply. This is called a strangulated inguinal hernia, and surgery may be needed to correct the problem.
If the hernia becomes very painful, that can mean the intestine is trapped inside the hernia, cutting off blood flow to the intestine. This is uncommon, but it can be life-threatening and should be repaired immediately. If you develop significant pain, go to the Emergency Department.
Strangulated hernias, where the tissue stuck in the hernia defect starts to lose blood flow, is an emergency of the highest order. Whether it is intestinal or fat tissue, the contents of the hernia can begin to die within hours of being strangulated.
Share on Pinterest Alongside a bulge, symptoms of a strangulated hernia may include fever, fatigue, nausea, and excruciating pain. One common indication of a strangulated hernia is an easily visible bulge in the areas of the abdomen or pelvis.
The operation is performed under a general anaesthetic and usually takes about 30 minutes (less than an hour for a repair to both sides). Your surgeon will make a small cut on or near your belly button so they can insert an instrument in your abdominal cavity to inflate it with gas (carbon dioxide).
sudden, severe pain. being sick. difficulty pooing or passing wind. the hernia becomes firm or tender, or cannot be pushed back in.