Most of us would have probably heard of a hernia being repaired. When was a hernia broken? I wonder! The thing is, it may be a hernia which is repaired but it is not the hernia which is broken. This may be confusing at times. It is the lining or a wall which contain a body part which is defective because of which a hernia results. The defect may be a tear or it may be a weakened area.
Surgery is the treatment of choice for the vast majority of hernias. In some very rare events like in congenital hernias, you may be advised a wait-and-watch policy. This is because some of these hernias will heal by itself as the baby or child grows. But these cases are relatively few in number.
Hernia is nothing but protrusion of a body part due to a structural weakness of the tissues which contain it. Most of the hernias are abdominal hernias which arise due to a weakness in the abdominal wall.
Surgery is the treatment option for the majority of hernias because the weakness of the tissues cannot be strengthened or compensated by a pill or an injection. It has to be repaired. In other words, surgically repaired. And this is why hernias are operated upon.
In a regular hernia surgery the herniated content will be pushed back to its position and the weakness of the wall containing the herniated tissues identified and repaired.
Sometimes, the weakened area can be stitched together during the repair. Other times, merely stitching the tissues may not be adequate. And in these cases, some sort of reinforcement will be added. Often the reinforcement added to strengthen a weak area is an artificial mesh or a patch. This synthetic mesh will act like a support to hold the tissues together and prevent protrusion of the contents inside.
Hernia surgery is usually what will be advised the minute a hernia is diagnosed. Sometimes due to reasons which may there to delay a surgery, your doctor may advise you to wait. During this time, some people may be advised to wear a truss or hernia belt. If using such a belt, you should always consult with your doctor. Not everyone with a hernia may be a suitable person to wear such a belt.
If you are diagnosed with a hernia, do not be alarmed when a surgery is advised. Surgery is the treatment of choice for the vast majority of hernias.
