How to Know the Benefits of Hernia Surgery

Hernias can be a painful experience depending on their severity and they can affect almost anybody. Chances are you or someone around you will need surgery for a hernia in their lifetime. When and if that happens, it's important to know the benefits of your hernia surgery.

Instructions

• 1

  Ask questions of your physician. There are no stupid questions and a good patient is a well-informed one. Anything you can think of during the initial consultation should be directed to your primary caregiver.

• 2

  Ask your doctor about your options as far as what type of surgery you'll have. There are a few options for the anesthesia (general or local) and the surgery (open or laparoscopic).

• 3

  Learn how a hernia works. A hernia is basically the bulging of one of your organs through muscle tissue. It will put your mind at ease to know precisely what is going on in your surgery before you go in.

• 4

  Research the type of hernia you have. Depending on the location and severity of the hernia, there are a host of different costs and benefits that you might consider. Ask your doctor exactly what kind of hernia you have. The basic benefits of hernia surgery all stem from the hernia repair because there is no other way to repair a hernia.
  • Repair the hernia with as little discomfort as possible
  • Achieve the lowest possible rate for a reoccurrence
  • Allow the patient to resume a normal life as quickly as possible

• 5

  Consult online resources. Use Web sites like Yahoo Health and PubMed to get more information about the type of hernia you have and the ways to treat it through surgery (see Resources). Some of the hernia types are:
  • Inguinal: A hernia in the groin area. A tear or gap develops in the groin area and the contents of the abdomen protrude, causing pain.
  • Umbilical: Develops around the area of the belly button. Umbilical hernias can be detected by the "outie" belly button.
  • Incisional: Caused by weak tissue near a previous incision. Can vary in size from very small to very large.
  • Femoral: Occurs 5 times more often in women than men. Develops near the crease of the leg.

• 6

  Return to your normal life. One of the benefits of hernia repair is elimination of the pain your hernia is causing. After a few weeks (depending on what kind of surgery you have) you should be able to lift weight and exercise, too. Make sure you get your doctor's permission before beginning an exercise regimen after hernia surgery.