Hernia Surgery
Hiatal hernias occur when some portion of the stomach pushes up through the diaphragm and then into the area of the chest. This condition can cause some very noticeable and sometimes severe symptoms of acid reflux. In addition, some patients have acid reflux symptoms even without a hiatal hernia. A standard first step for treatment is to take medications designed to manage the acid reflux symptoms. If the first step is not successful, the doctor will most likely recommend
.
A hiatal hernia can be repaired by the
. This is to be done when the stomach is pulled back into the abdomen. So the condition won't recur, the size of the opening in the diaphragm is reduced. Furthermore, it is also possible that the
will involve the removal of hernia sacs or reconstructing the esophageal sphincter muscle to prevent further reflux.
It should be noted that not everyone with hiatal hernia needs the help of the
to have their issues corrected. In general, a
would advise this in cases where other treatments are ineffective. However, if the patient is experiencing dangerous hernia symptoms such as the following, surgery performed by a
may be the only reasonable alternative.
Although the
There are three general methods which are used by a
The open repair is done by a
. It is a more invasive procedure than the laparoscopic or robotic version of surgery. The condition is characterized by a situation where the
uses open repair to return the stomach to its original position. This requires a large incision and more painful, prolonged recovery
The minimally invasive repair is the preferred procedure used by a
. Patients and surgeons prefer minimally invasive surgical repair over the other version since it offers improved outcomes with decreased pain and quicker recovery. This condition happens because the procedure is far less invasive than during open surgery. During the process itself, the
will make somewhere between three and five tiny incisions in the abdomen. Through one or more of these, the surgical instruments will be passed.
Also, a tiny camera will be inserted by the
through one of the incisions, and it will transmit images of the internal organs to a console in the operating room. Using this visual information, the
will pull the stomach back into place in the abdomen, where it should be. Then the upper part of the stomach will be wrapped around the esophagus to create a tighter sphincter, and this is intended to prevent acid reflux from occurring as part of the
recommendations.
Hiatal hernia/acid-reflux surgery post-operative care involves several procedures that must be firmly adhered to ascertain a
. Patients in should make sure to do each of these to boost their recovery from
are the following.
As part of the recovery process of
, patients will be generally given medication that must be taken at the same time as food. If any incisions were made during surgery, patients would typically experience a tingling sensation or possibly burning near the incision sites. Fortunately, this condition goes away fairly soon. If the discomfort lingers at all, the patient can take an over-the-counter medication such as ibuprofen.
In most cases, the doctor will advise the patient to undergo coughing and
. These are designed to help fortify and strengthen the patient's diaphragm. As a general rule, these exercises will need to be performed daily or following the doctor's specific instructions to ascertain the
. As soon as the patient feels up to it, the patient should also undertake a program of regular walks and
to ensure that blood clots do not form in the legs. Since this is considered major surgery, complete recovery may take as long as 6 to 8 weeks. However, the patient will probably be able to resume your normal activities in far less time than that.