abdominal wall hernia
What is an abdominal wall hernia?
- Jon Armstrong
abdominal wall hernia
Abdominal Wall Hernia in brief
So what is an abdominal wall hernia? In simple words you could say that it’s an organ or tissue pushing through the wall of your abdomen. When we talk about the abdominal wall, it refers to the muscles and fascial layers that enclose your abdominal cavity.Sometimes that muscle wall has weak areas, and this is where one of the organs in the abdomen or other tissue starts creating a sac, through that wall. It becomes even more painful when part of an intestine then settles in that sac.
abdominal wall hernia
What is an abdominal wall hernia through the diaphragm?
Another location for an abdominal wall hernia to occur is through the muscle that separates your abdomen from your chest.
In this case, the organ pushing through the wall, would be the stomach. When part of the stomach “herniates” through a weak spot in the diaphragm we refer to it as a diaphragmatic hernia.
There are other various types of abdominal wall hernias:
- Inguinal hernias: bowel sliding through the inguinal canal (the opening that allows the spermatic cord and testicle to descend into the scrotum as the fetus develops. This is less likely to occur in women.
- Femoral hernias: through the opening in the abdomen floor, more frequently in women.
- Umbilical hernias : bowel and its coverings can protrude through the belly button, a potential “weak spot”
abdominal wall hernia
What are the risks of developing an abdominal wall hernia?
Common risk factors to suffer from a hernia are often linked to increased intra-abdominal pressure:
- Chronic constipation
- Chronic cough
- Obesity
- Recurrent vomiting
- Pregnancy
- Previous abdominal surgery
- Lifting of heavy objects
abdominal wall hernia
What is abdominal wall hernia repair?
Abdominal wall hernia surgery or repair is a very common surgical procedure in Australia. The type of operation depends on your clinical situation and on the urgency level of your hernia surgery. This will define whether your General Surgeon will perform an open surgery or a laparoscopic surgery (keyhole surgery) to repair your abdominal wall hernia.
Here at Advance Surgical Perth we are a team of highly qualified and experienced General Surgeries. Through our extensive experience with weight loss surgery, and general surgery in the abdominal area, we provide high quality services for a wide range of surgery types.
If you – or a loved one – need more information on any type of surgery described here on our website, please contact our friendly reception team and we will be more than happy to help you.
