A general anesthetic will be administered; it is advised that you wait for at least 24 to 48 hours before getting behind the wheel. You might need to wait a few more days to drive if your hernia is in a spot where driving could put undue strain on it.
How Long Is Hernia Surgery Recovery Time?
When patients can start physical activities again after hernia surgery cannot be determined by you.
Recent scientific evidence indicates the need for little recuperation time following hernia surgery. Most patients can resume regular exercise after two weeks and return to a desk job within one to three days.
Your hernia surgeon should be consulted on the length of your recovery after hernia surgery, as different hernia repairs have different recovery requirements.
About Hernia Surgery
There are several hernia surgery procedures, including open surgery and laparoscopic surgery. Your surgeon will discuss the best hernia surgery for your situation with you.
Laparoscopic surgery
A laparoscope, a narrow, telescope-like device introduced through a tiny incision at the umbilicus, is used in laparoscopic (minimally invasive) hernia repair.
You won’t feel any discomfort during this operation because it is often done under general anesthesia given before the procedure.
An “inside picture” of your body is shown on television screens in the operating room thanks to a laparoscope linked to a tiny video camera no bigger than a penny.
A safe gas (carbon dioxide) expands the abdomen, allowing your doctor to see your internal organs. To reveal the abdominal wall’s frailty, the peritoneum, which lines the inside of the abdomen, is sliced. Mesh is inserted inside to plug the holes in the abdominal wall and fortify the tissue.
The tiny abdominal incisions are stitched or covered with surgical tape when the surgery is finished. The incisions become hardly invisible after a few months.
Open surgery
The surgeon will make a groin incision. The bulging intestine is located within the hernia “sac.” The surgeon then puts the hernia back into the abdomen and inserts stitches or synthetic mesh to strengthen the abdominal wall.
Your abdominal wall will eventually absorb this patch. A surgery of this nature will last roughly three hours.
Robotic hernia repair
This procedure employs a laparoscope and is carried out similarly to laparoscopic surgery (a tiny camera, small incisions, inflation of the abdomen, projecting inside the abdomen onto television screens).
Robotic surgery varies from laparoscopic surgery as the surgeon controls the surgical tools from a console while seated in the operating room. Robotic surgery can now be used to repair the abdominal wall and treat some minor hernias and weak spots.
One of the most significant distinctions between robotic surgery and laparoscopic surgery is that the former uses a robot to produce superior three-dimensional pictures of the abdomen (versus the two-dimensional images produced during laparoscopic surgery). Additionally, the surgeon can quickly sew meshes and tissue inside the abdomen with robotic surgery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the hernia come back?
Modern hernia repairs (keyhole or non-keyhole) have extremely low recurrence rates—around 1-2%. A femoral hernia cannot form after a keyhole procedure to repair an inguinal hernia. There is no proof that engaging in physical activity either immediately following surgery or later increases the risk of recurring mesh hernia repair.
Can I prevent a hernia?
There is no certain strategy to avoid developing a hernia or keeping one from returning. Some hernias result from a congenital disorder. The best action you can take is to maintain good health, have a healthy weight, and exercise frequently.
A balanced diet will keep your muscles strong and help prevent constipation, which can cause straining. Losing weight can relieve pressure on your abdominal muscles if you are overweight.
What causes a hernia?
A congenital abnormality, i.e., a weakening in the abdominal wall that a person is born with, is how many hernias start. When a muscular wall has a weak spot, straining during bowel motions, coughing, heavy lifting, or more body weight can drive the muscle apart, enabling a portion of an internal organ (or another body part) to pass through. When that occurs, the hernia will keep growing until it is fixed.
Depending on the hernia treatment method, the recovery time following surgery may vary.
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