Repairing a hernia is major surgery. And like so many other types of surgery, hernia repairs have gotten much better for patients over the years, says Leon Clarke, MD, a general surgeon at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital.
For starters, incisions for hernia surgery are smaller, recovery times are shorter and the repair is more likely to last, according to Dr. Clarke.
There are many ways to fix a hernia. At Mercy Fitzgerald, your surgeon will match your surgery to your preferences and needs.
Here is a quick comparison of hernia surgery in the past versus today.
Then
Large incisions
Surgeons repaired all hernias through a single large incision of 5 to 6 inches or longer.
More post-surgery discomfort
Larger incisions disrupt more tissue, resulting in more discomfort after surgery.
Longer hospital stay
Decades ago, having hernia surgery meant a multiple-day hospital stay.
Traditional tools
Until just a few decades ago, the only surgical option was a conventional open technique, which is still the best way to fix some hernias—for instance, in patients with scar tissue from previous surgeries.
Native tissue repair
As standard practice, surgeons stitched together the torn abdominal wall, sometimes called a tissue or tension repair.
Now
Minimally invasive surgery
Surgeons perform many hernia repairs through three or four keyhole-size incisions that leave very small scars.
Feeling better faster
Thanks to improved surgical techniques, post-operation discomfort is easier to manage with medications, and it tends to improve sooner.
Outpatient surgery
Most people will go home the same day. In a few instances, you may stay overnight for observation.
Laparoscopic and robotic surgery
With laparoscopic surgery, the surgeon inserts a camera in the abdomen and repairs the hernia while viewing images on a video screen. With robotic hernia repair, the surgeon guides a computerized robot that makes very precise cuts.
Mesh repair
Surgeons often use a synthetic mesh patch to strengthen the repair. First proposed in the 1960s, mesh repairs came into widespread use in the 1980s. They’ve reduced the rate of hernia recurrence (the likelihood that a repaired hernia will come back) by up to 30%.