Hernia Treatment Cost in India

Symptoms of Hernia

A hernia in the abdomen or groin can produce a noticeable lump or bulge that can be pushed back in, or that can disappear when lying down. Laughing, crying, coughing, straining during a bowel movement or physical activity may make the lump reappear after it has been pushed in. Some of the common symptoms of a hernia include: 

• Pain in the lower abdomen area, when you bend, during coughing or lifting weights.
• Feeling of heaviness or weakness in the abdomen. 
• A dull aching sensation.
• Chest pain (in case of hiatal hernia). 
• Acid reflux (in case of hiatal hernia)

Some of the common types of Hernia:

Inguinal hernia – In men, the inguinal canal is a passageway for the spermatic cord and blood vessels leading to the testicles. In women, the inguinal canal contains the round ligament that gives support for the womb. In an inguinal hernia, fatty tissue or a part of the intestine pokes into the groin through a weak spot at the top of the inner thigh. This is the most common type of hernia and affects men more often than women. 

Femoral hernia: Fatty tissue or part of the intestine protrudes into the groin at the top of the inner thigh. Femoral hernias are much less common than inguinal hernias and mainly affect older women.

Hiatal hernia- It is most common in people having age more than 50 years. It occurs when a part of the stomach swells up through an opening in the diaphragm into the chest cavity.

Umbilical hernia- Fatty tissues or part of the intestines swell through their abdominal wall near their belly button (navel). This type of hernia is most common in children or babies under 6 months old. It goes away on its own as the muscles of the abdominal wall get stronger but if it doesn’t go on its own then surgery is required.

Incisional hernia- This type of surgery occurs when the patient has a history of abdominal surgery, the intestines protrude from the incision (cut) form the area of weakened tissue.

Procedure

Laparoscopic surgery

The surgery is performed under general anesthesia and the surgeon makes several small incisions in the abdomen that allow special surgical tools inserted the openings with the help of laparoscopy to repair the hernia. The weak spot is covered with mesh and fixed into the muscle tissue to strengthen the abdominal wall. This surgery is less painful and has faster recovery time due to the small incisions. 

Open Repair 

Open repair is the most commonly performed procedure for the treatment of hernias. This surgery is performed through one long incision over the location of the hernia. In some cases, a piece of mesh is placed over the muscles in order to reinforce the weakened tissues. This can be done in two ways. 

• Herniorrhaphy (tissue repair): The healthy tissue is pulled together and the edges are sewn. Smaller indirect hernias present at the time of birth are treated this way. Sometimes the surgeons use this method when it is possible to sew the healthy tissues together without undue stress, but the approach depends on the surgeon’s preference and the area of the abdominal wall to be fixed.  
• Hernioplasty (mesh repair): After the hernia is put back in position, the area of the abdominal wall is reinforced with a mesh patch that is sewn over the affected area. The mesh patch is made from a flexible synthetic material that allows the growth of new tissue into it. These patches are available in different kinds such as plugs, patches, expanding, self-gripping, self-absorbing and three-dimensional.