We established that hernia recurrences are possible, but what are the most common causes of a recurrence? Behavior and lifestyle choices that increase the risk of a hernia to begin with put additional strain on the abdomen and may cause a recurrence as well.
These include:. Many of these causes can be mitigated by changing lifestyle habits or taking measures to minimize the strain put on the abdomen. In some cases, problems during surgery for the primary hernia may be the cause of the recurrence:.
Some patients may wonder if open surgery is more prone to recurrence than laparoscopic surgery. An open repair, depending on technique, is more prone to an incisional hernia because an inherent weakness is present whenever the muscles of the abdomen are cut during surgery. Recurrence of a hernia has become less of an issue in modern hernia repair. Surgical technique and device technology have improved to the degree that complication rates are very low. The statistics quoted regarding hernia recurrence are based on hernia repairs both by inexperienced and experienced hernia surgeons, as well as hernia repairs that were performed under emergency conditions — these procedures typically have less-positive outcomes.
To avoid recurrences and other common complications, it is important to employ a hernia specialist — someone with a great deal of experience repairing these defects. Further, statistics show that hernias repaired electively versus in an emergency tend to have better results, including fewer complications. If you believe you have a hernia recurrence, is important to see hernia specialist soon, as all the risks of a primary hernia are still applicable to a recurrence.
Typically, if the primary hernia was repaired via an open procedure, the recurrence will be repaired using the laparoscopic approach as that offers significantly better outcomes.
Some patients will be good candidates for a robotic hernia repair as well. For more information, we encourage you to contact Dr. All patients should plan on being off from work for a long weekend, or days. The day after the surgery we encourage patients to walk as much as tolerated including trips to the store, mall, or the beach. Most patients can return to light activities such as desk jobs in about days.
Below, Dr. Todd S. Harris discusses what to expect in the days after hernia surgery. He gives advice on how to minimize discomfort and about the recommendations that California Hernia Specialists provides to patients for after their surgery.
Patients that have heavy lifting requirements at work will need to be on light duty for 3 weeks after surgery. At the end of 3 weeks, patients are cleared to resume all normal work activities as tolerated. This is one of the most common questions for athletes to ask. From a surgery healing point of view, there are a few important time-lines to follow. By day patients who feel like they are able to participate in light cardio activities can engage in easy jogging, stretching, or some forms of yoga.
By week one, athletes can slowly increase their activity as tolerated but without lifting anything greater than 20 pounds. At the 3 week point after surgery, most patients are cleared to resume all of their pre-surgery athletic activities.
This could include swimming, cycling, distance running, lifting heavy weights at the gym, and other contact sports. Athletes may find that they are sore or stiff after resuming their activities. Anti-inflammatories such as Motrin or Aleeve are helpful.
Using ice in the area of the hernia after engaging in heavy sporting activities can also help with this discomfort. If the pain with athletic activities is severe, patients should take at least one day off to recover or until their pain resolves.
As soon as patients can engage in sexual activities without severe pain, they can resume their normal activities. Just as with returning to work and athletic activities, there will be some recovery period before patients feel back to normal. This usually takes at least a week. We have created a quick, go to summary for patients who plan to have hernia surgery.
The chart explains day by day what most patients experience after their hernia surgery. You could be asked to stand and cough so the doctor can see or feel a bulge that would indicate that your hernia has returned. If you have a recurrent hernia, your doctor may order imaging tests to help determine the hernia's location and inform a treatment strategy. Surgically repairing a recurrent hernia entails closing and reinforcing the defect in the abdominal wall, often with synthetic mesh material.
The method your doctor recommends will depend on your hernia's size and location, your general health and how physically active you hope to be in the future. The surgeons at the Brigham's Hernia Program apply the latest advancements in hernia repair into each surgery. They practice many different types of hernia surgeries, including:. To learn more about the Hernia Program's multidisciplinary approach to patient care or to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists, please call Our providers see patients at the following locations:.
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