Robotic surgery has revolutionized the way we approach many surgical procedures, including inguinal hernia repair. While the minimally invasive approach offers many benefits, including reduced pain and faster recovery times, it’s important to understand that there are limitations to what you can do following surgery. In this blog, we’ll explore some of the common limitations that patients may experience after robotic inguinal hernia repair. Physical Activity One of the most common limitations after robotic inguinal hernia repair is physical activity. While it’s important to get up and move aro ..read more

Patients with small umbilical or ventral hernias (size of the defect less than 2 cm) and BMI less than 30 kg/m2 may benefit from primary hernia repair (closure of the defect with resorbable sutures and without mesh). These operations can be performed through a small incision hidden inside the navel, which leads to an esthetically pleasing scar once the healing is complete. Older data suggests that in patients with low BMI, the recurrence rate is 14% without mesh, versus 4% with mesh repairs. However, the study included a very heterogenous group of patients, with defects up to 4 cm, which is qu ..read more

Hernias are a very common condition, with approximately 20 million operations performed worldwide each year. Studies show that around 30% of individuals will experience some form of abdominal or inguinal hernia at some point in their lives. Although hernias can appear in people who lift heavy objects or in pregnancy, other causes may also exist. Some authorities claim that a predisposing factor called herniosis makes certain individuals more susceptible to developing hernias. Although not widely accepted, this theory explains why some people are more predisposed to developing hernias. The abdo ..read more

The Abdominal Wall Reconstruction Surgeons’ Community, an organization spearheaded by Indian surgeons, organized an immersive hernia conference between March 23-25 in New Delhi, India. This was attended by over 1500 surgeons from 40 different countries, a record turnout which reflects the unprecedented growth in the field of hernia surgery over the past decade, and the desire to collectively improve and advance our field. A few highlights of the conference included: All women HERnia panel discussing hernia care in women. Large studies from Denmark demonstrated that women have a higher rate of ..read more

I recently had the great pleasure of attending the Hernia Surgery Summit, a conference in which World-class faculty discussed latest trends in hernia repair and established treatments with proven outcomes. It is one of the best educational events of the year, which combines excellence in hernia care, camaraderie with colleagues from around the World, and quality family time on and off the slopes. Here are a few of the highlights, as compiled by some of my hernia surgery colleagues and myself: Recovery after hernia repair varies from individual to individual. The level of activity after surger ..read more

Large incisional hernias often result from multiple abdominal operations or previous failed hernia repairs. Patients present with a big bulge in the abdomen, which interferes with their quality of life, and may result in abdominal pain, back pain, or inability to carry on work or daily living activities. Repair of such a large ventral hernia is generally complex and requires deep knowledge of the abdominal wall anatomy and mastery of the surgical technique. Abdominal reconstruction techniques (also known as component separation or transversus abdominis release – TAR) have tremendous benefits ..read more

Hernia repairs are some of the most common procedures performed by general surgeons today, but many patients do not know what to expect in the recovery process. Physical therapy plays a central part in patient readiness for abdominal hernia repairs (pre-habilitation), and significantly improves recovery after surgery (rehabilitation). After undergoing abdominal wall reconstruction or hernia repair, a patient’s body has a new ability to stabilize its “core.” Physical therapy exercises can help reduce postoperative pain and are important to maintain function and flexibility. Furthermore, certain ..read more

Inguinal hernia repair techniques have evolved over centuries, as knowledge of groin anatomy has improved. Inguinal hernia descriptions and ways of treating them were mentioned by ancient civilizations, including Egyptians, Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans. However, most advances took place in the Modern Era, with many open tissue repair techniques being developed and most eventually falling out of favor. Some of the most notable ones are Bassini, McVay, Halsted and Shouldice. Of note, some of the “no mesh” techniques employ the use of steel wire or Prolene permanent suture, resulting in signif ..read more

Hernias usually don’t go away on their own. Hernia treatment usually involves minimally invasive surgical procedures for a quicker recovery. What causes hernias? Hernias are common. The abdomen or groin muscles become weak from aging or repeated strains. In turn, an organ or body part bulges through the muscle wall and causes pain. Yet, some people don’t experience severe symptoms. Very often, a doctor or a significant other discovers the hernia. People who do heavy lifting are somewhat at risk for hernias. Those who struggle with obesity, chronic cough or chronic constipation can also get her ..read more

It’s a common belief that men are the ones who get hernias. That may be true, at least in who currently has surgery to repair an inguinal hernia, but it may not be true overall. Many women can have what is known as a hidden hernia. This is a tiny tear in the abdominal wall that can be excruciatingly painful. Unfortunately, most doctors aren’t versed in these injuries, so the woman’s pain goes misdiagnosed as being due to other conditions. As a result, the patient’s pain remains. As a hernia specialist, Dr. Panait can diagnose hidden hernias and he then repairs them using laparoscopic methods ..read more