Generally, hernias aren't life threatening, but you can develop serious complications. If you notice any of the following symptoms, you should speak with your medical provider right away: sudden pain that gets worse quickly. nausea and vomiting.
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.
You also can get a hernia, or worsen an existing one, from certain movements and habits. These include: Picking up heavy objects (especially lifting them in the wrong way and with weak muscles) Overusing the same muscle.
A hernia can appear suddenly after bending, coughing, laughing, or lifting weights or heavy items, or it can form slowly over weeks or months. Symptoms may improve when you lie down, relieving pressure on the area.
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.
Untreated hernias may not only keep increasing in size but may also become harder to manage, more uncomfortable, more painful, and in worst case scenarios, life-threatening.
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.
An inguinal hernia that can't be moved back into the abdomen is called an incarcerated hernia. This is a dangerous situation because the part of your intestine inside the hernia can become strangulated, which is a medical emergency. Symptoms of a strangulated inguinal hernia include: Severe pain and redness.
If it is left untreated, a strangulated hernia can lead to life-threatening conditions such as necrotizing enterocolitis (severe inflammation of intestine) and sepsis. Since hernias can happen to anyone at any age, knowing warning signs of hernias and being aware of them are essential.
A visible lump or bulge on the outside of the body that can be pushed back in or that disappears when lying down. Pain or a burning sensation at the site. Pain when lifting heavy items. A feeling of weakness or pressure in the affected area.
We define end-stage hernia as a complex hernia with such a high degree of risk across these domains that even advanced techniques of surgical repair will fail, with no overall improvement in abdominal wall function/QoL.
Persistent and intense pressure on the surrounding muscles, such as while coughing, vomiting, straining during a bowel movement, exercising or lifting heavy objects.
Conclusions: Mortality risk following elective hernia repair is low, even at high age. An emergency operation for groin hernia carries a substantial mortality risk.
After any kind of hernia, walking can help keep your muscles strong and help reduce your risk of complications. This is especially true of surgeries on your abdomen. Walking helps your organs return to their proper place.
Most inguinal hernias can be pushed back into the belly with gentle massage and pressure. An inguinal hernia will not heal on its own. If you have symptoms, or the hernia is growing, you may need surgery. Some surgeons recommend repair of all groin hernias in women.
Will my stomach shrink after hernia repair? The size of your stomach will not necessarily shrink after a hernia repair. However, depending on the cause of your hernia and the type of repair you have, you may experience changes in your abdominal appearance after surgery.
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.
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.
You should also be able to return to work after 1 or 2 weeks, although you may need more time off if your job involves manual labour. Gentle exercise, such as walking, can help the healing process, but you should avoid heavy lifting and strenuous activities for about 4 to 6 weeks.
Incisional hernia following previous abdominal surgery is one of the most challenging conditions of the abdominal wall.
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.
When you undergo open surgery, keep in mind that this is considered a major surgery. You will have local anesthesia administered at the surgical site, as well as sedation if needed. After this is done, a large incision is made in order to allow surgeons to reach the hernia.
Key points to remember
Hernias don't go away on their own. Only surgery can repair a hernia. Many people are able to delay surgery for months or even years. And some people may never need surgery for a small hernia.