Many people have a general understanding of what a hernia is, but they lack in-depth knowledge of the condition or the procedure used to address it. We’ve talked about how hernias develop and how they are treated on the blog in the past, but today we want to dig a little deeper and share five little known facts about hernias and the repair process.
The First Suspected Hernia Surgery Occurred Back in 1500 BC
Surgeries of all different types date back thousands of years, but historians believe it was the Egyptians who performed the first documented hernia surgery back in 1500 BC. Mummified remains of great pharaohs like Merneptah and Ramses V suggest that both suffered from and were likely treated for inguinal hernias.
There are a Number of Different Types of Hernias
Not all hernias are the same. In fact, there are a number of different types of hernias based on the location they occur on the body. For example, inguinal hernias occur when the abdominal contents break through the abdominal wall near the inguinal or groin, but femoral hernias occur when part of the small intestine or other tissue pushes into the femoral canal. Others may experience umbilical hernias, which occur at the belly button, or incisional hernias, which take place at the site of a previous surgery due the the weakened tissue in the area.
Hernias can be Deadly
The vast majority of hernias are non life-threatening, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore the problem and hope it resolves on its own. Should the hernia become incarcerated or strangulated, it can cut off vital blood supply to essential areas of your body, which can lead to organ failure and even death.
Many Hernias Occur from Simple Actions
It’s easy to understand how a hernia might develop during athletic activity or as a result of a weakened muscular area of your body due to a previous surgery, but many hernias we operate on are the result of an everyday action. Some of the more common causes of hernias include:
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- Clearing your throat
- Pushing during bowel movements
Hernia Surgery Is Quick
When performed by a skilled hernia surgeon, a hernia can be repaired quickly and with relative ease. The doctor will place you under general anesthesia, then make a small incision to access the hernia site. The protruding tissue will be placed back in the muscle wall, and the wall itself will be repaired to ensure it doesn’t burst through again. Dr. Koeplin has performed over 4,000 hernia operations, and many of these can be completed in less than an hour!
