Charalambos Spyropoulos, General Surgeon at Metropolitan General, highlights the symptoms that should motivate the patient to seek medical help and the modern treatment that solves the problem.
Inguinal hernia is the most common form of hernia and occurs more often in men. It is usually recognised as a swelling in the groin, in the area where the trunk meets the thigh.
There is a hollow formation, the inguinal canal, which is a smooth point of the abdominal wall. Therefore, if any intra-abdominal viscera, usually the intestine, protrudes outside the abdominal wall through the inguinal canal, an inguinal hernia is caused.
This projection manifests as a swelling under the skin and can be asymptomatic in the initial stages.
How is an inguinal hernia created?
In cases of weakening of the abdominal wall in combination with the presence of increased intra-abdominal pressure, the congenitally weakest point of the inguinal canal can be a way of projecting some intra-abdominal splanchnic to the outside and, in this way, create an inguinal hernia.
The main factors that contribute to the appearance of a hernia in the inguinal region are:
- Vigorous exercise, especially weight lifting
- The increase in intra-abdominal pressure during pregnancy
- Genetic predisposition
- Obesity
- Heavy manual work
- Chronic cough / smoking
- Severe constipation
Initially, an inguinal hernia can be hidden; that is, despite its presence, it does not cause symptoms in the patient. The main characteristic feature of an inguinal hernia, which usually mobilises the sufferer, is the characteristic bulge in the inguinal region.
Other symptoms that may indicate the presence of an inguinal hernia are:
- Swelling that does not redistribute
- Pain especially when coughing or constipation
- Burning or electric sensation in the area
- Difficulty urinating or defecating
The symptoms caused by the inguinal hernia should not be ignored as the non-definitive treatment of the condition can lead to the appearance of complications.
The most common complication of an inguinal hernia is stricture, in which the intra-abdominal viscera that protrudes into the hernia becomes firmly trapped outside the abdominal wall.
This fact can even lead to ischemia or even necrosis of the splenium. Therefore, stricture is a medical emergency that is treated immediately surgically.
How can an inguinal hernia be treated?
Inguinal hernia can only be definitively treated with surgical intervention. Modern treatment almost exclusively applies minimally invasive methods, as they are associated with minimal post-operative pain, rapid recovery, and immediate return to the patient's daily life.
The Endoscopic TEP method is the only minimally invasive technique performed through 3 small incisions. The operation is completed with the laparoscope (special camera) and the laparoscopic tools, not inside the abdomen but inside the patient's muscle wall.
In this way, the hernia repair is carried out completely extra-abdominally, without the need to transect muscles and suture the peritoneum, avoiding any contact with the abdomen's visceral environment.
The Robotic surgical approach is the most modern option for treating abdominal wall hernias. The Da Vinci Chi robotic system is an advanced robotic platform and a unique surgical tool in the hands of an experienced robotic surgeon.
Through special controls on the system's central console that reproduce the surgical manipulations on the special robotic arms, the surgeon performs the operation with exceptional fluency and range of motion.
With the help of the integrated high-resolution 3D camera, he can perform the hernia repair in absolute detail and place the surgical mesh at an ideal point, avoiding injuries to the surrounding tissues and unnecessary surgical trauma to the abdominal wall.
Hospitalisation is almost always a few hours long, and the patient's recovery is very fast.
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