At Penn Hernia Center, you have access to some of the nation's top experts in hernia repair surgery. We use advanced techniques, so you feel better faster and have less pain after surgery.
Our team has unique expertise managing the most complex hernia problems, such as severe pain after hernia surgery. We've helped many patients regain quality of life after they've run out of options elsewhere.
How to Treat a Hernia with Surgery
A hernia is a weakness in the abdominal wall that allows tissue from inside your body to push into an area where it shouldn't be. For example, a weakened muscle can create an opening for a small piece of tissue (most commonly fat or intestine) to push through. A hernia appears as a bulge of tissue under the skin (often in the belly or groin area). Learn more about types of hernias.
Hernias cannot be fixed with medications. Most require surgery (herniorrhaphy).
During hernia repair surgery, a surgeon:
- Pushes the bulging tissue back into place
- Repairs the weakened connective tissue and muscle, called the hernia defect
- May use a supportive mesh material to strengthen the weakened area and help tissues stay in place.
Hernia Repair Surgery: Why Choose Penn Hernia Center?
Doctors consider many factors before deciding whether (and which) surgery may be right for you. If you need hernia surgery, you're in excellent hands here. Penn hernia surgeons – both general and plastic surgeons – have received regional and national acclaim for their skill and expertise. We deliver excellent outcomes with a low rate of complications, such as recurrence (hernia that comes back after surgery).
Regional centers regularly refer complicated hernias to our team because of our expertise in managing difficult cases. We have the skill to reconstruct the abdominal wall or repair hernias that come back multiple times.
Types of Hernia Surgery
Our renowned hernia surgeons perform a high volume of sophisticated surgeries to repair common and rare types of hernias, including:
Groin Hernias
- Inguinal hernia surgery repairs a hernia that occurs in the groin area in the lower abdomen. Inguinal hernia mostly happens to men. Our team developed new ways of treating a rare complication that causes some people to experience severe, long-term groin pain after hernia repair surgery.
- Femoral hernia surgery fixes a hernia that happens at the top of the thigh. Femoral hernias are less common and tend to affect older women.
Abdominal Wall Hernias
- Umbilical hernia surgery repairs a hernia that happens close to the belly button.
- Abdominal hernia surgery may be needed to repair a hernia that occurs elsewhere along the abdomen. You may develop this type of hernia after any previous abdominal surgery that can weaken abdominal tissues.
- Incisional hernia surgery may be required after any prior operation you have had. Any incision that has a weakness around the muscle or tissues can develop a small bulge or hernia.
- Parastomal hernia surgery repairs hernias or bulges that develop around a stoma or ostomy. These can cause an obstruction of the ostomy.
- Spigelian hernia surgery is required for a rarer abdominal wall hernia that can occur on the left or right side of your abdomen.
- Flank hernia surgery is most commonly needed after a prior surgery or accident on the left or right side of your abdomen that causes a bulge.
- Complex abdominal wall reconstructive surgery may be needed for hernias that have been repaired multiple times and come back. Reconstructive surgery is also used when complications follow hernia repair.
Intraabdominal Hernias
- Hiatal hernia surgery repairs hiatal or paraesopahgeal hernias in which the stomach pushes up into the chest through a widening of the muscles that separate the abdomen from the chest. This surgery can be similar to acid reflux surgery. It can be a long-term cure for certain cases of heartburn or acid reflux symptoms.
- Internal hernia surgery repairs a twisting of the intestines that can happen after prior surgery. It most commonly occurs after weight loss surgery such as gastric bypass.
- Diaphragmatic hernia surgery repairs a hernia in the breathing muscles (the diaphragm) that allows tissue from the abdomen to move into the chest. These hernias are most often caused by accidents and other operations in the chest.
Minimally Invasive Options
Penn has a decades-long track record of successful hernia surgeries using open (long incisions) and minimally invasive techniques (small incisions). Our hernia surgeons are highly skilled in the latest minimally invasive advances, which include:
- Laparoscopic hernia surgery: A surgeon repairs the hernia by guiding thin, flexible tools through tiny incisions. A camera on the end of these tools enables surgeons to view a magnified picture of the affected area on a computer screen.
- Robotic hernia surgery: During this surgery, a surgeon places robotic instruments inside the abdomen through small incisions. The surgeon uses a computer to control the robotic arms and repair the affected area.
Minimally invasive hernia surgery offers many advantages, including the potential for a shorter hospital stay, fewer complications, and less pain after surgery. Depending on the size of the hernia, hernia surgery can be an outpatient procedure performed under general anesthesia. Larger hernias may require a short hospital stay.
Coordinated Approach to Hernia Repair
At Penn Hernia Center, multiple doctors with different areas of expertise come together to consider all perspectives and make the best possible decisions regarding your care. Depending on your needs, your care team may include gastrointestinal surgeons, plastic surgeons, pain management doctors, nurses and physical therapists.
This level of coordination is uncommon and helps us provide expert hernia care. It also makes evaluation, treatment and recovery easier for you, with fewer appointments and less hassle.
Compassionate Care Team
Our physicians take what they do personally. We understand how much a hernia can affect your life. We want to give you the best results possible.
We take the time to listen to your concerns and we never rush you. We walk you through all your treatment options and answer any questions you have along the way.
After surgery, our team will check in with you at various times to make sure you're recovering well. We'll point you toward physical therapy, nutrition counseling or other specialty care that may help you heal or prevent another hernia. Learn about our hernia surgery recovery and rehabilitation.
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