SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, July 13 (EUROPA PRESS) –
Vithas doctors in Tenerife have warned that more than one in four men suffer from inguinal hernias and focus on the health risks of not intervening in time, as well as the advantages in recovery of doing it properly and, if necessary, possible, through laparoscopy.
Specifically, almost 27 percent of the male population is likely to develop an inguinal hernia throughout his life, a pathology whose only cure is through surgery. It occurs after an abnormal outlet of fat or intra-abdominal viscera, causing discomfort in the inguinal area.
The surgery specialists at Hospital Vithas Tenerife have recalled through a press release that repair by laparoscopic surgery “decreases the sequelae of the intervention” and generates a “lower rate of infection, hematoma and post-operative nerve injury”, favoring the early discharge of the patient.
Dr. Julen Ramón Rodríguez, a specialist in general surgery and the Digestive System at Hospital Vithas Tenerife, specified that “the inguinal ring is a natural orifice that we have in the muscles of the abdominal wall through which, in the case of men, the the vessels that go to the testicle with blood and sperm and, in the case of women, in which this pathology usually appears in a lower percentage; we found a ligament that helps support the uterus”.
“The problem occurs when this natural hole is enlarged or weakened and elements from within the abdomen begin to protrude that should not come out through the inguinal orifice,” explained the surgeon, who cited discomfort and a lump at the inguinal level among the symptoms. .
SYMPTOMS INCREASINGLY SERIOUS
The symptoms are usually progressive over time, as it increases in size and, therefore, increases the content of the hernial sac. “Initially, the patient will notice some discomfort in the groin area when he makes certain movements. Later, when the hole is larger, the fat inside the abdomen and intestinal loops tend to come out through the defect, so we are going to notice a painless lump that appears when doing sports or coughing situations in which we increase intra-abdominal pressure”.
“At first, this bulge will be noticeable with effort and will disappear with rest, but over time the hernia tends to remain fixed on the outside,” he warned. If the hernia is not treated, the defect will grow larger, its subsequent repair being “more complex and increasing the chances of urgent complications such as strangulation of the hernia content.”
FASTER RECOVERY WITH LAPAROSCOPIC SURGERY
Laparoscopic surgery is minimally invasive, “so it offers a series of advantages over the classical technique.” “Open surgery is performed through a 5-10 centimeter incision in the groin, while the laparoscopic approach is performed through three millimeter incisions.”
“Multiple studies show that laparoscopic surgery has a lower incidence of surgical wound infection, hematoma development, and a lower rate of pain both in the early postoperative period and chronically,” explained the doctor, who recalled that “the recovery and discharge of the patient occurs more quickly, allowing him to return to his routine.
