Hernia Surgery
Hernia Surgery Specialist
Hernias can be painful and cause problems like acid reflux, depending on where in your body they develop. If you have a hernia of any kind, highly skilled surgeon Jacob Rinker, MD, FACS, and his team at Wyoming Medical Associates can help. They perform expert hernia surgery using minimally invasive laparoscopic techniques at their locations in Gillette and Casper, Wyoming. Call the office nearest you for more information or book an appointment online today.
Hernia Surgery Q & A
What is a hernia?
A hernia occurs when an organ pushes through a hole in the muscle or tissue that is supposed to hold it in place. The intestines, for example, may break through a weakened site in the abdominal wall.
The abdomen is the most common site for hernias, although they may also affect the upper thigh and groin. The majority of hernias are not immediately life-threatening, but they must be treated at some time. They don’t go away on their own sometimes, and surgical intervention is required to avoid further harm to your health.
Hiatal hernia
A hiatal hernia affects the top section of your stomach. The tissue protrudes through your diaphragm — a sheet of muscle that separates your abdominal organs from your heart and lungs — into your chest.
Ventral hernia
Ventral hernias occur when intestines or other tissues squeeze into the front part of your abdomen. They can happen following surgery, when they’re known as incisional hernias.
Inguinal hernia
Inguinal hernias happen when a section of your intestine pushes through a weak spot in the inguinal canal — an opening in the muscle of your groin.
Hernias usually don’t cause serious problems. However, if your hernia leads to a bowel obstruction or interferes with your intestinal blood supply, you would need immediate surgery.
What symptoms can a hernia cause?
Inguinal and ventral hernias appear under your skin as a lump that’s worse when you stand and better when you lie down. The lump might be uncomfortable or painful.
Hiatal hernias aren’t visible like inguinal and ventral hernias, as they’re not so close to your skin. The most common symptom they cause is heartburn, or acid reflux.
It’s possible to have a hernia and not experience any symptoms or have such mild symptoms you don’t realize a hernia is causing them.
What does hernia surgery involve?
The Wyoming Medical Associates team uses minimally invasive laparoscopic techniques where possible to repair your hernia.
They make small cuts in the skin near your hernia and insert a laparoscope — a flexible, tubular instrument that has a light and a tiny camera on its end.
The camera transmits images of the hernia and surrounding tissues to a screen so your surgeon can perform the hernia repair without needing to make any large incisions.
Using the laparoscope images as guidance, your surgeon inserts special surgical instruments with which they can return the herniated tissue to its proper location and repair the gap. In some cases, your surgeon might reinforce the repair using mesh to make sure you don’t suffer another hernia.
If you find a lump in your groin or abdomen or have painful acid reflux that other treatments don’t help, you might need hernia surgery. For expert advice and treatment, call Wyoming Medical Associates or book an appointment online today.