Is Hernia Surgery Safe?
Yes, hernia surgery has been made safer than in previous days. Two kinds of surgeries are available to repair hernia: open and minimally invasive surgical techniques.
People prefer minimally invasive techniques nowadays as they cause lesser pain, lower blood loss, and faster recovery.
Minimally invasive techniques like laparoscopy and robotic surgery are widely employed nowadays to repair a hernia.
Laser technology is also substituted for traditional open surgeries to remove adhesions in case of abdominal hernias as they cause lesser pain, lower blood loss, and no cosmetic damage.
What is the Success Rate of Hernia Repair?
90-99% success rate is usually attributed to any hernia repair. Hernia repair with mesh has a slight chance of enabling hernia recurrence of around 5%. Other than that, there is only a slight chance of hernia surgeries resulting in chronic pain, as found in a very small population of patients
Hernia Surgery Risks
| Common risks | Long-term risks | Rare but serious risks |
|---|---|---|
|
Bruises at the hernia repair site |
Infection due to mesh |
Stroke or heart attack due to anesthesia administration |
|
Infection due to the instruments used during hernia repair |
Mesh displacement |
Injury to blood vessels |
|
Bleeding at the hernia repair site |
Mesh breaking down |
Damage to nearby organs |
|
Seroma |
Recurrence of the hernia |
Death |
Factors Affecting the Safety of a Hernia Repair Surgery
Some of the factors that affect the safety factor of a hernia surgery include:
- Age: Infants and older patients may face a higher risk of complications due to the surgery.
- Overweight: Obesity can make the surgery difficult and cause increased complications.
- Smoking: Patients with a smoking history can face increased risks during surgery, like profuse blood loss, infection, and so on.
- Chronic illness: Diabetes, cancer, and other chronic illnesses can hinder the success rate of hernia repair surgery.
- Previous surgeries: Previous surgeries in the surgical area may cause disturbance during the current surgery.
- Type of hernia: The type of hernia can influence the success rate of the surgery. For example, hiatal hernia is more complicated than abdominal hernia surgery.
- Type of surgery: Open hernia surgeries may pose more challenges than laparoscopic surgeries.
Factors Influencing the Safety of a Hernia Repair Surgery
Factors that influence the safety of a hernia repair surgery include:
- Choice of surgery type: The appropriate choice of surgery type, open or minimally invasive, can influence the success rate of the surgery.
- Choice of surgeon: Choosing an expert hernia surgeon for your hernia type can increase the chances of success.
- Choice of the clinic: Choosing a clinic or hospital with modern infrastructure and surgery facilities can increase the success rate of hernia surgery.
- Elective or emergency hernia repair: Elective hernia repair surgeries have a better success rate than emergency hernia surgeries.
- Age: Younger patients with no chronic illnesses have a better chance of success in hernia surgery.
Conclusion
Multiple factors determine the safety of hernia surgery. However, delaying surgery increases risk factors. Consulting an expert hernia surgeon with a high success rate can lead to successful hernia repair. Opt for the best hernia surgeon, choose the right hernia repair method, and consider elective surgery to prevent complications and ensure better success of the hernia repair.
If you are worried about the safety of your hernia surgery, you can contact me at my clinic and get your doubts clarified.
We wish you success in your hernia surgery!
