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Home / / Procedures / / Open Hernia Surgery

Open Hernia Surgery

About Open Hernia Surgery

Surgical repair is recommended for hernias that cause pain and other symptoms, and for irreducible hernias (structures cannot be returned to their normal locations) that are incarcerated or strangulated. Surgery aims at closure and repair of the muscle wall through which the hernia protrudes. Open hernia surgery has been performed for over 100 years and still has a place today. However hernias are now increasingly being repaired in a laparoscopic fashion

Open Surgery

Open surgery, also called Herniorrhaphy, for hernia can be done under general or local anaesthesia. Your surgeon makes an incision of about 5-10cm long (depending on the size of the hernia) to view and access the surgical site. Your surgeon pushes the part of the intestine that protrudes back into its normal position and repairs the weakened muscle layer by sewing the edges of the healthy muscle wall together. A synthetic mesh is often placed and sewn over the weakened area to provide additional support and strength, by a procedure called hernioplasty. The incision is closed after the procedure using dissolvable stitches.

Open surgery that may be performed for the following hernia types

Post-operative Care

Following surgery, you

  • Can take a shower only after 48 hours post-surgery
  • Can go home the day of the procedure
  • Should avoid driving while taking pain killers as they induce drowsiness
  • Can resume daily activities slowly while strenuous activities should be resumed only after consultation with your surgeon
  • Use ice pack on the wound to reduce pain, prevent swelling and to lessen bloody discharge from the incision if present
  • Recover in about 3 weeks

Risks and Complications

Like most surgical procedures, hernia repair is associated with the following risks and complications:

  • Reaction to anaesthesia
  • Infection
  • Bleeding at operation site
  • Nerve damage and numbness of skin
  • Damage to surrounding tissue

Although the recurrence of hernias is seen in less than 5% of patients after surgery, you would need to follow preventive measures.