Hernia Surgeon Trusted by Thousands

Most commonly, people with hernias notice a lump or tenderness and pressure or pain upon bending, coughing, or straining. For a person with no symptoms, the doctor may discover a lump in the groin or abdomen during a medical exam. Other symptoms of a hernia include the following:

• A heavy feeling in the groin or abdomen
• Pain and swelling in the scrotum (men)
• Pain with a bowel movement or during urination
• Pain when lifting or moving something heavy
• Pain later in the day, especially if you have been standing a lot

If a person discovers a hernia or has symptoms that suggest he or she might have a hernia, the person should consult a doctor. Hernias, even those that ache, if they are not tender and easy to reduce (push back into the abdomen), are not surgical emergencies, but all hernias have the potential to become serious. If you already have a hernia and it suddenly becomes painful, tender, and irreducible (cannot be pushed it back inside), you should go to the emergency department. Strangulation (cut off blood supply) of intestine within the hernia sac can lead to gangrenous (dead) bowel in as little as six hours.

Laparoscopic surgery and robotic surgery are both minimally invasive. The major difference between laparoscopic and robotic surgeries is that robotic surgery allows the surgeon more precision in the areas that needed. Overall, the outcome of robotic and laparoscopic procedures are similar.

Most hernia repair surgeries on adults and healthy children can be done on an outpatient basis. Outpatient surgeries provides quicker ambulation and discharge. Complex hernias and hernia repairs in high risk patients are preferably done in hospital setting.

Depending on your occupation, full recovery from hernia surgery may take anywhere from one to six weeks. How soon you can return to work depends on the kind of work you do. If you have a very strenuous job or one that requires heavy lifting, it may take somewhere from 4 to 6 weeks before you can perform your duties without restriction. On the other hand, if you have a desk job, you may be back to work in as little as two to three days. Always ask your doctor for advice on when to return to work and resume your normal daily activities.

Most hernia surgeries are considered medical necessity and covered by most insurances. For patients without insurance, financial assistance is available through independent financial institutions. For further information, please call our office at (310) 326-3062 or email us at info@torrancesurgical.com.