There are ailments, which most of us just see as a small hurdle to our lives, and then there are ailments that need to be ‘operated’ upon; which, for most of us, becomes a life-changing decision.
People tend to look at non-surgical options for ailments whenever they can. This is largely due to the fear of going under the knife, even for routine surgery.
The same applies to Hernias as well. Due to the commonality of the ailment, there are a variety of treatment options available for people which include both surgical as well as non-surgical options. To begin with, the non-surgical options include:
- Dietary Changes: For people suffering from Hiatal Hernia, small changes to their diet can help relieve the pain caused due to the ailment. As it occurs in the stomach, people can soothe the pain by avoiding heavy meals or doing any immediate physical activity like lying down on bending over after a meal. Bear in mind, doing so can only help manage the pain to an extent. While this gives temporary respite, it doesn’t make the hernia go away, and for that, you need medical intervention.
- Medication: When you do feel the symptoms of hernia like acute pain or unnatural bulges in any part of the body, consult a doctor immediately. Depending on the size and seriousness of the hernia, they will recommend a course of medicine. These may include basic antacids, H-2 receptor blockers, and proton pump inhibitors. In the case of Hiatal Hernia, the purpose of these medicines is to reduce discomfort by decreasing stomach acids.
Medications will help manage your hernia better. But if the pain is extremely difficult to manage, you will need to look at surgical intervention to remove it. Fortunately, both these options are non-complicated and carry very limited surgery-associated risks. So, if you do need to get a hernia removed, here’s what you can look at.
Open Hernia Repair
In an Open Hernia repair, referred to as Herniorrhaphy, the surgeon will make an incision after giving the patient local anesthesia. This incision is done in the groin region and the doctor then moves the hernia back in place or removes it altogether. Then, the weaker muscle wall will be strengthened via stitches to avoid it from forming again. More often than not, the muscle areas facing weakness will be reinforced with a synthetic mesh placed by the doctor. This procedure is called a Hernioplasty.
Laparoscopic Surgery
As a second option, your doctor may ask you to opt for a Laparoscopic Surgery. In this, a doctor uses a Laparoscope, which is a slender tube that has a camera attached to it. With its help, the doctor can see the exact location of the hernia and it’s surrounding tissue. Then, using a synthetic mesh, the surgeon carefully repairs the Hernia. Patients who undergo laparoscopic surgery generally see quicker recovery times, but getting one depends completely on the recommendation of the doctor. This procedure is only done after considering the size of the hernia and the patient’s medical history.
When it comes to treating a hernia, there are a lot of options that your doctor can recommend for you. But at the end of the day, they know best when it comes to treating you. So, while there are non-surgical methods to manage your hernia, if the doctor recommends surgery, do opt for it!
