What causes a hernia?

Hernias form when tissues or organs inside your abdomen bulge through a weak spot or tear in an abdominal muscle. Dr. Bello frequently repairs several types of hernias, which include:

• Inguinal hernia (occurs in the inner groin area).
• femoral hernia (occurs in the outer groin area)
• Umbilical hernia (occurs in the umbilicus)
• Ventral hernia (occurs in the abdominal wall)
• Incisional hernia (occurs along a healed surgical incision)
• Another type of hernia, called a hiatal hernia, is different because it forms inside your abdomen.

What should I know about hiatal hernias?

Most hernias cause a noticeable bulge where the hernia crosses the abdominal wall. As the hernia grows, it can become painful, especially when your activities put pressure on the hernia.

Hiatal hernias cause different symptoms. You will not notice a bulge; instead, you will develop indigestion, heartburn and upper chest pain.

All types of hernias can become twisted or trapped in the muscle, a problem that is further complicated if the hernia becomes strangulated and blood flow is blocked. A strangulated hernia is a medical emergency that causes acute symptoms, such as sudden, extreme pain.

How is a hernia treated?

Hernias do not get better on their own; they only get bigger over time. The only treatment for a hernia is surgery to return the abdominal contents to their normal position and repair the muscle by reinforcing the abdominal wall with a small piece of surgical mesh.

Dr. Bello specializes in minimally invasive hernia repair using small incisions. Small incisions cause less trauma than open surgery, so you will have less post-operative pain and a faster recovery.

Whether performing manual laparoscopy or robotic-assisted laparoscopy using the da Vinci Surgical System, all surgical tools are contained in long, narrow tubes that are placed through the small incisions.

The laparoscope contains lighting and a small video camera that sends magnified images of the surgical area to a television screen. Your surgeon controls the surgical instruments and repairs your hernia while watching the screen.