A Few Facts On Hernia Valley Stream NY Patients May Wish To Know

By Arthur Wright


A hernia is simply an external protrusion of internal structures as a result of a defect in the muscular wall of a body cavity. It comprises a sac and its contents together with a neck. In most instances, hernia sac contents are intestines. They could also be other soft tissue structures and organs. These are some of the facts on hernia Valley Stream NY patients may find useful.

Whether a hernia is reducible or not is determined by the ability of the swelling being able to disappear spontaneously or when purposefully pushed in. The doctor observes the protrusion with the patient standing and when they are lying down. Given a choice, it is better to get a reducible hernia than an irreducible one which is not only uncomfortable but is at risk of being twisted.

When blood supply to the contents of the hernia is compromised, it is said to be strangulated. This is bound to happen if the protrusion is irreducible and when the neck is extremely narrow. Ultimately, the tissues within the sac permanently become dysfunctional if the strangulation is not reversed in time. Pain is often the first sign that a hernia could be strangulated.

Closely related to strangulated hernias are obstructed hernias. In the obstructed type, the intestines therein literally get blocked. The patient will have various signs and symptoms that include vomiting, abdominal distention and inability to pass stool. In the long run, late or lack of intervention can cause parts of the bowel to die.

Another way to classify these swellings is with regard to their site. For instance, those in the inguinal region are called inguinal hernias, those passing through the femoral canal are called femoral while those passing through the diaphragm are referred to as diaphragmatic, and so on and so forth. The inguinal types are arguably the most familiar because they occur more frequently. They can sub classified as direct or indirect. Femoral forms are typical in the female gender.

Predisposing factors to herniation include weight lifting, pregnancy, obesity, straining on defecation and urination, among other factors. Common among all these factors is the fact that they all result in an increase in abdominal pressure which makes the wall to easily break down. People whose diet is poor in high fiber are highly susceptible to constipation, so are those who are fluid deprived. In addition, obstruction of the urinary tract just below the bladder is likely to cause strained urination.

Surprisingly, some people may get hernias and yet have none of the common risk factors. Such people could be having some abnormality in their connective tissue that makes it weak. More often than not, they get umbilical hernias which is especially common in the young population. Lucky enough, most of them regress spontaneously.

Herniorrhaphy is the treatment of choice for hernias. In this procedure, the surgeon makes an incision through the sac and returns the protruding tissues back to where they belong. The weak abdominal wall is then repaired using a special kind of mesh which is good at minimizing the chances of recurrence. It is done under general anaesthesia using either the open method or laparoscopy.




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