Abdominal Hernias Specialist

What is a hernia?

A hernia occurs when an area of muscle or tissue weakens and an organ or other body part pushes through the wall of tissue that normally contains it. Most hernias are ventral hernias, meaning they occur within the abdominal wall located between your chest and hips. Large hernias may require abdominal wall reconstruction.

Sometimes a hernia can become strangulated. This occurs when portions of organs, such as your intestines, become trapped in the abdominal wall and are cut off from necessary blood flow. A strangulated hernia can be life-threatening if not treated immediately.

What is an inguinal hernia?

Hernias are usually named according to their location. An inguinal hernia, for instance, is a hernia that occurs in your lower abdomen/groin region and is caused when fatty tissue or part of your intestine pushes into the inguinal canal. This is the most common type of hernia and is much more likely to affect men than women.

Other types of hernia include:

• Umbilical hernia: occurs around the belly button
• Incisional hernia: occurs at a previous surgical site
• Epigastric hernia: occurs between the belly button and lower part of the sternum (breastbone)
  
  

It’s also possible to get a recurrent hernia, which is caused by a failed previous hernia repair attempt.

What are the advantages of laparoscopic surgery for hernia repair?

Compared to traditional open surgery, a laparoscopic hernia repair decreases trauma to surrounding healthy tissue by requiring just a few buttonhole size incisions versus the long abdominal incision used for open surgery. Your inner abdomen is viewed with a special camera and surgery is undertaken with small instruments slipped through these small incisions.

Other benefits include:

• Less postoperative discomfort and pain
• Reduced recovery time and quicker return to full activity
• Improved cosmetic appearance following surgery due to smaller incisions
  
  

The expert surgeons at Chicago Surgical Clinic also offer robotic-assisted hernia repair. This advanced technology includes all the benefits of laparoscopic surgery and also provides your surgeon a clearer, more precise 3-D image of the inner abdomen/operative site, as well as increased range of motion for the surgical instruments allowing access to harder to reach places. These features make it an exceptional choice for both hernia repair and abdominal wall reconstruction.  

If you’ve been putting off hernia surgery, call Chicago Surgical Clinic or book your appointment online today.