Hello Everyone,

I'm terrified of developing/having a hernia. Can anyone advise on this? What would it feel like, what would cause one, repercussions and problems because of one, and the solution for a hernia? I haven't done much research on it, but the only thing I can imagine causing a hernia is tearing across the abdominal wall from the small laproscopic incisions from the surgery. Is this correct?

Thanks for the feedback. I'm tempted to walk into my doctor's office (I'm a self-pay, done in Mexico patient) and beg them to check for a hernia... however that works.

A hernia is when abdominal tissue of sorts protrudes through a weakened abdominal wall (which could be from incisions)... Usually you develop a hernia with heavy lifting, horrible coughing spells, straining, etc.... Hernias are usually OK as long as it doesn't interfere with the normal workings of your abdominal organs.. Hernias become concerning when they're extremely painful with nausea/vomiting, tenderness... The concern there is a strangulated hernia. which means the tissue has had the blood supply cut off and is going to die... that's an emergency and requires immediate surgery to release the tissue so blood flow can be resumed... Another problem with hernias is when a piece of bowel is herniated... That can cause a bowel obstruction which may also require surgery... Signs and symptoms of a bowel obstruction include abdominal pain, abdominal swelling/tenderness, nausea/vomiting, constipation.. I asked my surgeon how often he sees hernias post op and he said rarely.. Doesn't mean it can't happen... But nothing to really stress yourself out about unless you have one with severe pain... Hope this helps!!

One of the reasons laparoscopic surgery is done so often, and for so many different procedures, is because the risk of a hernia is so much smaller because of the incision size. In an "open" procedure, the incision is often 8-10 inches long. Such a long incision does come under stress and the internal edges can separate and allow the bowel to intrude. It's highly unlikely that a laparoscopic incision will herniate. Not impossible, just rare. If you did have one, they are surgically repaired and the weakened area strengthened with sutures or, sometimes, surgical mesh. If nothing is bulging out of your incisions, if they are not red and swollen, and you do not have a fever, you probably don't have one, and if you did it would be tiny.

Really, this is not something you need to worry about, but if you need convincing, go to your doctor and ask them to palpate your abdomen. They can feel a hernia.

I haven't seen anyone on these forums post about hernias, so I'd venture that they are quite rare. You'll feel it if you have one - I had one as a child and one of my friends still has one. Like others said, there's literally be a squishy bump of intestine under your skin.