Abdominal hernia repair, or herniorrhaphy, is one of the most common elective, or nonemergency, surgical procedures. It is usually done when there is some bulging of an abdominal structure, such as the intestines, through a weak portion of the abdominal wall. This can cause the trapped bowel to become obstructed, causing severe pain and excessive vomiting, or trauma to the bulging structure. These conditions require an emergency surgical procedure; however, post-surgical herniorrhaphy complications can also occur.
Hernia Recurrence
Hernia recurrence may sometimes occur no matter how successful the previous abdominal hernia repair was. The December 2003 issue of the journal "Hernia" states that this may occur when the patient continues to have the risk factors that cause increased pressure in the abdominal cavity. Eliminating the possible factors of hernia recurrence is needed to avoid its reappearance. However, if hernia does recur, repeat abdominal hernia repair will be needed to avoid the possible complications that may arise, such as strangulation, incarceration and trauma to the bulging organ. Once complications arise, emergency surgical intervention is needed.
Surgical Wound Infection
Surgical wound infection can occur after surgical operation because of poor wound care or presence of conditions causing decreased immune resistance of the patient, such as diabetes. However, this can be prevented by taking antibiotics to ward off infection-causing bacteria. Proper wound dressing is also necessary to prevent this kind of complication.
Seromas
Seroma is a tumor-like mass or fluid buildup within the surgical wound after operation. This is usually associated with the use of a mesh, a prosthetic material used in hernia repair procedures. This causes localized swelling of the surgical wound. The management of this complication can range from watchful observation--since most seromas resolve spontaneously--to needle aspiration in cases of large, bulging seromas.
Chronic Pain
Development of chronic pain happens in 11 percent of patients undergoing hernia repair, according to a study published in 2007 in the "American Journal of Surgery." This may result from damage to nerve endings within the surgical operative site during the operation. Other risk factors that may predispose a patient to chronic pain include having pain before the operation, a heavy-weighted mesh used during the operation, and undergoing the procedure at a younger age. There is no definitive cure for chronic pain after hernia repair. However, some medications for nerve pain can temporarily relieve this problem.
References
- "Radiographics"; Abdominal Wall Hernias: Imaging Features, Complications, and Diagnostic Pitfalls at Multi--Detector Row CT; Diego A. Aguirre, M.D., et al.; November 2005
- "Hernia"; Review of the management of recurrent inguinal hernia; Richards, S.K., et al.; December 2003
- "Journal of Surgical Research"; Abdominal wall hernias: risk factors for infection and resource utilization; James R Dunne, M.D., et al.; May 2003
- "Sudan Journal of Medical Sciences"; Early Complications of Prosthetic Inguinal Hernia Repair; Fadlalla, F.A.M., et al.; September 2008
- "American Journal of Surgery"; Chronic Pain After Mesh Repair of Inguinal Hernia: a Systematic Review; Nienhuijs, S.W.; 2007
