What is a hernia repair?
A hernia repair is surgery to fix an opening or a place of weakness in your muscle.
The main types of hernia repair include:
- Ventral hernia repair (a procedure to repair a hernia in the abdominal wall)Â Â (see model of ventral hernia repair here)
- Inguinal hernia repair (a procedure to repair a hernia in the groin area)
- Umbilical hernia repair (a procedure to repair a hernia in or around the belly button or umbilicus)
- Other hernia repair (a more complex procedure to be discussed with your surgeon to cover the specifics)
Surgery is the only way to repair a hernia. However, if the hernia is small or you do not have symptoms, your doctor may recommend watchful waiting or other measures. If you have a hernia, discuss all options with your doctor.
If you are a candidate for surgery, your surgeon may recommend:
- Open surgery: Traditional open operation where an incision or cut is made in the skin and carried to the muscle, where the tear is fixed or repaired. This open operation needs to have an incision large enough to see and feel the important structures involved with the hernia. Hand-held tools are used to do this type of operation.
- Laparoscopic surgery:Â The Surgeon makes a few small incisions
in the abdomen and operates using special long-handled, straight tools while viewing magnified images from the laparoscope
(camera) on a video screen. - Robotic-assisted surgery: The Surgeon controls the da Vinci system
to perform the procedure, using the instruments and magnified, 3d images from the camera on a special surgeon console. This allows for precise manipulation of tissues and placement of mesh to repair the hernia with less pain and faster recovery.  Robotic Surgery is the preferred method of repair at Candela and Schreier Surgical, when appropriate.
