Physicians perform hernia surgery to repair defects in the abdominal wall that allow the bowel to slip through. When the bowel protrudes through the abdominal wall, one consequence can be strangulation, which is a dangerous condition in which the bowel becomes pinched in the abdominal wall muscle, which cuts off blood supply, killing the bowel tissue. The operation pushes the bowel back into the abdomen and repairs the hole.
Pain
Pain is a possible side effect of any surgical procedure. After an abdominal hernia repair, a patient may feel pain immediately after the operation. Long-term pain may also occur at the incision site.
Damage to Nearby Structures
Several important structures pass near the area where abdominal hernias typically occur. Injury to those structures is a possible side effect of the hernia operation. In males, a blood supply to the testicles as well as the tube that carries sperm both run close to the area where hernia repair takes place. Either of those structures can be damaged during a hernia repair. Depending on the location of the hernia, blood vessels and nerves to the legs can also be located near the repair site. Because the operation involves the abdomen, damage to the intestine is also possible.
Wound Infection
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the risk of a wound infection is small in hernia surgery and is more common in older patients. Patients with infection may experience fever, redness, discharge and tenderness at the incision site. Treatment of the infection may require antibiotics or reopening of the incision to drain the infection.
Hernia Recurrence
A recurrence of the hernia, which may happen up to several years after the hernia surgery, is a more common hernia surgery side effects. When that happens, surgeons must perform another operation to repair the hernia. Newer techniques have decreased but not eliminated the risk of recurrence.
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