Ventral Hernia – What is it, Causes, Symptoms and Treatments!

In a strangulated ventral hernia , the intestinal tissue is tightly trapped inside an opening in the abdominal wall. This tissue cannot be pushed back into your abdominal cavity, and your blood flow is cut off.

This type of Ventral Hernia is an emergency that requires surgery . Hernias can occur elsewhere in your body and are named after the place where they occur – for example, a femoral hernia occurs in the upper thigh.

Risk Factors for a Ventral Hernia: Certain people are born with a birth defect – one that exists from birth – that causes their abdominal wall to be abnormally thin.

They are at a higher risk of developing a Ventral Hernia . Other risk factors for a Ventral Hernia include:

• Pregnancy;
• Obesity ;
• History of previous hernias;
• History of abdominal surgeries;
• Sores in your intestinal area;
• Family history of hernias;
• Often lifting or pushing heavy objects.

Causes of Ventral Hernia: According to UCSF, Ventral Hernia can occur in up to 30% of those who have had abdominal surgery. Most occur at the site of the surgical scar. Scar tissue weakens or shrinks, allowing a bulge to form in the abdomen. This bulge is tissue or organs pushing against the abdominal wall.

There is no obvious cause for a hernia to develop. Some are the result of lifting too much weight. They may be present in a person from birth, but the bulge may be unnoticeable for many years. Hernias can also appear in babies and children. This happens when the membrane covering the abdominal organs does not close properly before birth.

Ventral Hernia Symptoms: Ventral hernias can produce a number of symptoms. Symptoms can take weeks or months to appear.

You may not experience any symptoms at all. Or you may experience discomfort or severe pain in the area of ​​your hernia, which may worsen when you try to place or lift heavy objects. You may see or feel a swelling or growth in the area that feels soft to the touch.

If you have any of the following symptoms, be sure to see a doctor right away:

• Mild discomfort in your abdominal area;
• Pain in the abdomen ;
• Outer bulging of the skin or tissues in your abdominal area;
• nausea ;
• Vomit .

Ventral Hernia Treatment: Ventral hernia requiressurgical correction. If left untreated, it continues to slowly grow until it is able to cause serious complications.

Untreated hernias can grow into enlarged ventral hernias that become progressively more difficult to repair. The swelling can lead to the contents of the hernia becoming trapped, a process called incarceration. This, in turn, can lead to reduced or no blood supply to the involved tissues, which is referred to as strangulation.

Options for surgical treatment include:

Mesh placement operation: A surgeon pushes the tissue back into place and then sews it into a mesh, which serves as a reinforcing patch, to hold it in place. This is considered safe and reliable, and mesh placement has been shown to reduce the risk of Ventral Hernia recurrence .

Laparoscopic Repair: A surgeon makes multiple small openings and corrects your hernia using guidance with a small camera inside your body to direct the surgery. A mesh may or may not be used.

Open (non-laparoscopic) surgery: A surgeon makes an incision adjacent to your hernia , pushes the tissues back into place, and then cuts into the area. A mesh may or may not be used.

Complications: Massive ventral hernias are those that have a length or width of at least 15 centimeters (cm) or a total area of ​​150 cm 2 , according to the Journal of American Surgery. They pose a serious surgical risk. A giant hernia fills the abdominal cavity, making it difficult to separate the surrounding organs. As the hernia grows in size, the risk of a recurrence also becomes greater.

What is the perspective of someone with a Ventral Hernia: In the early stages of a Ventral Hernia , you can “fix” your own hernia. Some people may feel the bulge in the abdomen and push the organs inward. This is called reducing the hernia. Shrinking often works temporarily until you have surgery.