I am 29 yr old male. I am a weightlifter and I recently noticed slight pain with a bulge in my groin area. I want to continue with my practice. Please guide.

A hernia is a muscle defect through which fat/ intestines protude, which appears as a bulge over the skin. An inguinal hernia is such a swelling/bulge in the groin area. It can be confirmed with a physical examination & an imaging test such as an Abdominal + Pelvic Ultrasound. Hernia defect can be corrected with 3D Mesh Hernia Repair surgery. As there are no medications for hernia, this technique proves promising as it is a daycare procedure with a negligible recurrence rate. Due to its smooth & faster recovery period, the patient can walk, climb stairs from the same day and lift up to 5-10kgs from the next day itself. Heavy weight- lifting can be resumed after 3 months.

I had a normal delivery 4 months back but recently I noticed a bulge over my belly button. The bulge increases on carrying my baby & bending. Is there a cosmetic solution?

An Umbilical hernia could develop post normal delivery due to weak abdominal muscles. After a basic physical examination and an ultrasound test, this defect can be corrected cosmetically with 3D Mesh surgery at Healing hands clinic. It leaves no scar and at times can be performed under local anaesthesia and the patient can go back home the same day.

I am 52/F. I underwent surgery for my appendix a year back. Since 3 months I have noticed a swelling around the previously operated area. On lying down the swelling becomes unnoticeable. Please guide me as I have mild pain.

This is called an Incisional hernia. There are various types of hernias- Inguinal (groin), umbilical (belly button), hiatal (upper stomach), ventral, and incisional (previous surgery cut). This defect can be associated with/ without pain on lifting heavy weights/ coughing/bending/sneezing. For Incisional hernia 3D Laparoscopic surgery works best as it has a shorter recovery period.

My 56-year-old father recently started complaining of mild discomfort and swelling in his right groin area. An ultrasound shows it’s an inguinal hernia. How much assistance is required by the caregiver? What are the treatment options?

Inguinal hernia is quite common in males. It is due to the protrusion of a part of the intestine from a weak spot in the abdominal muscles. Healing Hands Clinic is certified as a ‘Centre of Excellence in 3D Mesh Hernia Repair’ by Dr John Murphy, ex-president, the American Hernia Society and Innovator of 3D MeshSurgery. This is the only permanent solution as hernia cannot be treated with medicines. This advanced surgery has shorter hospitalisation and faster recovery. The need for caregivers is fulfilled by our doctors and nursing staff during their stay at the hospital. A patient can walk, climb stairs and lift up to 2-5 kgs from the same evening and can be discharged after one night stay.

My grandmother is 74. She was operated on for umbilical hernia 20 years back. It reoccurred eight months later and the size has also increased with time. Is there a permanent solution?

Incisional/recurrent hernia is likely to develop 3-6 months after abdominal surgery. After a thorough consultation and analysis by Dr Deepak Kulkarni, this recurrent issue can be tackled with the most advanced technique mentioned above. The polypropylene mesh used covers the hernia defect from three sides; above, below and centre. This repair is suitable for treating large-sized and even recurrent hernias.

I am a 58-year-old man. I have had this bulge over my abdomen for a long time. It never caused any pain, until recently. This bulge reduces in size when I lie down. I am 101kgs. I have no other medical history. Can losing weight help this problem?

A ventral hernia occurs due to a weak spot in the abdomen enabling a part of the intestine to protrude through a cavity muscle area. The doctor will go through the history of your symptoms followed by a brief physical examination. Losing weight may reduce the pain /discomfort. If left untreated, they get bigger, more painful and complicated. Advanced laparoscopic repair of hernia proves most beneficial because of its smooth recovery.

My father is 61years old. He has recently developed a swelling in his groin area. Because there is no pain what are the precautions that he must take? He is an active person and doesn’t want to be bedridden as we have an upcoming family function next month. What is the ideal way to go about ?

An Inguinal hernia happens in your groin, in a passageway called the inguinal canal. You might see a bulge on one or both sides of your pelvic bone. The contents of this bulge include part of the intestines or part of membrane lining your abdominal cavity. The definitive treatment of hernia is surgery. A lot of hernias remain asymptomatic/ painless for long.Earlier the repair, the smaller the hernia and the lesser the trauma from surgery. Typically, a more rapid recovery is achieved after surgery for a smaller hernia. 3-D Mesh Hernia Repair
is the most advanced and preferred technique. It is a tension-free repair in which a Polypropylene mesh is used. Advantages include: Negligible recurrence rate, no risk of chronic groin pain as no stitches are taken to fix the mesh, short procedure requiring about 15-20 minutes, day care procedure with a short hospital stay of about 12 -24hours.
Note :The possibility of strangulation always looms large. It is usually more common with the smaller hernias and you certainly do not want it while you are on a vacation in some remote place or before an important event like a wedding.
Note :One must avoid heavy weight lifting, must maintain healthy body weight, re-evaluation with the doctor when u have persistent coughs/sneezes.

I am a cardiac patient & recently recovered from covid infection 2months back. I have had Umbilical hernia since a long time. The size has remained the same over the years. But I have now developed a similar swelling in the groin area. Can I treat both together? Which surgery will benefit me given my medical history ?

Healing hands clinic houses many experienced and skilled surgeons. Dr Deepak Kulkarni, expert of the disease performs a basic physical examination & studies the defect thoroughly. Based on the findings and an Ultrasound imaging, patient is guided with the best possible treatment plan. Technology is progressing expeditiously and the medical field is no exception to it. Keeping up with the advancements, Healing Hands Clinic has introduced the latest technique for treating hernia- 3D Mesh Hernia Repair. This surgery proves successful given the cardiac & covid history as the approach is directly through the defect site, shorter anaesthesia, faster recovery, can repair multiple defects at once and a shorter hospitalisation time.

My driver who is 43 yrs of age had undergone appendectomy 6months back. He now complains of pain and swelling at previous operated site. Please guide with the best & permanent solution as he is the only working member in the family.

An incisional hernia is a protrusion of tissue that forms at the site of a healing surgical scar. This type of hernia accounts for 15-20 percent of all abdominal hernias. Most incisional hernias don't cause any serious problems. In some cases, parts of the bowel might get trapped in the opening of the hernia, blocking the passage of stool (obstruction) or cutting off the blood supply (strangulation). As hernia does not heal on its own, it needs to be corrected surgically, especially since it has a tendency to increase in size with time. However, hernia is notorious for its tendency to recur. In the pre-mesh era, the recurrence rate was up to a whopping 30%. Efforts to tackle this issue led to the invention of mesh repair and finally of 3D Mesh Repair. It has truly been a game changer. It is a simple and promising method which covers the hernia defect from 3 sides- above, below and centre. The patient can be back home within 24-48 hours and can resume all his duties as the recovery is faster as compared to other techniques.

My father is 52 yrs old. He has no diabetes / hypertension/ thyroid / no surgeries in the past. Few weeks back he noticed a bulge in his right groin area. He has no pain but feels discomfort. We consulted our family doctor, who advised us to see a specialist. We are scared of surgery as we have a few family events which involve travel and domestic work. Please guide.

Any condition that increases the pressure of the abdominal cavity over a prolonged period of time may become a cause for hernia eg. Obesity, chronic cough, heavy lifting, chronic constipation leading to straining during bowel movement. Hernia in the groin is called as inguinal hernia. 3-D Mesh Hernia Repair is the most advanced and preferred technique for inguinal hernia repair. It is a simple and promising method which covers the hernia defect from 3 sides- above, below and centre. It is a tension-free repair in which a Polypropylene mesh is used. In case you delay a surgical treatment, the hernia will most likely increase with time, making a future repair technically more difficult.
Advantages of 3D mesh repair

• Negligible recurrence rate
• No risk of chronic groin pain as no stitches are taken to fix the mesh.
• It is a very short procedure requiring about 15-20 minutes
• Day care procedure with a short hospital stay of about 12 hours.
• He can climb stairs, travel and can lift 2-5kgs post surgery.

I am an engineer and have to work with heavy tools daily. I am going to travel overseas for work. I’ve had umbilical hernia for many years. The size has remained same. How long can I wait for the surgery? I have no medical history but I smoke. Is that of any concern ?

Smoking can lead to chronic cough by irritating your lungs. Longstanding cough can cause hernia. Another factor is the nicotine in the tobacco that causes weakness of the abdominal wall, thus contributing to development of a hernia. The goal of a hernia surgery is to repair the weak tissue in the abdominal wall and seal the defect so that fat or intestines cannot push through it again. The earlier the repair, the smaller the hernia and the lesser the trauma from surgery. Typically, a more rapid recovery is achieved after surgery for a smaller hernia. The possibility of strangulation always looms large. It is usually more common with the smaller hernias and you certainly do not want it while you are on a vacation in some remote place or before an important event like a wedding. Healing hands clinic has been recognised as centre of excellence for 3D mesh hernia repair by Dr John Murphy, Ex President - American hernia society.

I am a mother to 3months old twins. My pregnancy was smooth. It was a planned Caesarean. Post delivery I noticed a bulge over my belly button. It’s painless but I feel the size is increasing. Please guide

Umbilical hernia is common post delivery due to pregnancy. One should consult a specialist. Dr Deepak Kulkarni at Healing hands clinic has over a decades experience in treating hernia. A basic physical examination and ultrasound will evaluate the size of the defect. Based on the findings doctor can plan further. As surgery is the definitive treatment for hernia, the patient can plan surgery after 6 months and can get back to their normal routine within 24hours.

My brother is 20 yr old. He recently noticed swelling in his groin area. He mentions that there has been significant increase in the size over the last 6months alongwith mild pain. I am worried for him as he is an athelete & he cannot skip his training

A hernia is a bulge or a swelling under the skin through a weakness or opening in the wall of the abdomen. An inguinal hernia appears as a swelling/bulge in the groin area. One must see a specialist at the earliest who will perform a physical examination which will be further confirmed with an imaging test such as Abdominal + Pelvic Ultrasound. Based on the findings one may need few lifestyle changes & 3D Mesh Hernia Repair surgery. As there are no medications for hernia, this technique proves promising as it is a day care procedure with negligible recurrence rate. Due its smooth & faster recovery period one can resume their day to day activities from the next day itself. He can start training after few weeks

I had a normal delivery 5 months back but recently I noticed a swelling over my belly button. It increases on carrying my baby & bending forward. Is there a permanent solution?

An Umbilical hernia could develop post normal delivery due to weak abdominal muscles. After a basic physical examination and an ultrasound test, this defect can be corrected cosmetically with Laparoscopic surgery at Healing hands clinic.This surgery is safe post delivery, leaves no scar and the patient can get back to their daily routine in a day or two.

My mother 62yr old underwent surgery for appendix a year back. Since 3 months she has noticed a swelling around the previous operated area. This developed after her zumba session that's she's been doing for years. On lying down the swelling becomes unnoticeable. Please guide me.

This is called as an Incisional hernia. There are various types of hernias- Inguinal (groin), umbilical (belly button), hiatal (upper stomach), ventral, incisional (previous surgery cut). This defect can be associated with/ without pain on lifting heavy weights/ coughing/ bending / sneezing.Incisional hernia can be permanently treated with 3D Mesh Repair technique mentioned above.

Note : Incase of severe pain along with vomitting, constipation, unable to pass gas, one should immediately see their doctor to rule out obstruction which needs emergency surgery