LISTEN: Health First Surgeon Jason Miller Says Hernia is Not Something to Wish Away on ‘Putting Your Health First’
By Space Coast Daily // September 10, 2024
Hernias are one of the most common reasons Americans go under general surgery
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN to Dr. Jason Miller discuss hernias – how common they are and what can be done about them.
Make an appointment to discuss your hernia today. “Hernias don’t get smaller in time,” says general surgeon Dr. Jason Miller.
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Hernias are one of the most common reasons Americans go under general surgery. The lifetime risk of developing a groin hernia alone, which includes inguinal and femoral hernias, is 27% for men and 3% for women.
Health First General Surgeon Jason Miller, MD, says that while groin (or inguinal) hernias get a lot of attention because they are more painful, he sees many patients with abdominal (or ventral) hernias near the belly button (umbilical) and old surgical sights (incisional, such as where an appendectomy was performed).
A hernia is a case when organ tissue from within the body cavity pushes through an opening in the muscle wall, often creating a danger for that tissue – and pain. Most hernias do eventually require surgery.
The most common sign of a hernia is the presence of a bulge, Dr. Miller says, that “can be brought out by coughing, straining or lifting – anything that increases pressure in the abdominal cavity may make the bulge more prominent.”
Symptoms include pain, swelling, even constipation. Hernias can be very serious, requiring emergency surgery.
“Hernias don’t get smaller in time – and we don’t get healthier, generally,” says general surgeon.
At Health First, these surgeries are performed laparoscopically and often robotically. In such a surgery, thin articulatable robotic appendages enter the body at tiny incisions, and the hernia is reduced – the transgressive organ tissue is pulled back in – and the defect closed and a mesh is placed to reinforce the integrity of the tissue wall at that point.
Laparoscopic, robotic procedures enjoy lower infection rates and faster patient recoveries. Dr. Miller tells his patients to expect recovery within 1 to 2 weeks, but that normal activity can resume much sooner than that.
Dr. Miller advised anyone concerned about a hernia or symptoms that might suggest a hernia to be seen by a medical provider.
“Over time, hernias get larger and eventually may not be able to be pushed back in. If it’s a portion of the intestine breaching the abdominal wall, there’s a risk of becoming kinked off and even losing blood supply and dying. In that case, you need an emergency surgery to fix the hernia, untwist the intestines, or even take out part of the intestines.
“And when hernias are fixed in an emergency operation, they’re at a much higher risk of recurring in the future.”
Visit hf.org/findadoc or call (321) 434-3131 to schedule an appointment today.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN to Dr. Jason Miller discuss hernias – how common they are and what can be done about them.
