If there is a hole in the abdominal wall muscles, the intestine or abdominal tissue can protrude through the muscle layer. This condition is a hernia. When a hernia occurs at any location along the midline (vertical centre) of the abdominal wall, it is a ventral hernia. It has three types. You have to undergo hernia surgery in Kolkata to get rid of this problem.

  • Epigastric (stomach area) hernia: It can occur in any area starting from just below the breastbone to the belly button (navel).
  • Umbilical (belly button) hernia: It occurs in the area where the belly button is located.
  • Incisional hernia: Some patients who had undergone abdominal surgery develop an incisional hernia in the area of the scar. This can occur at any time after the surgery.

Causes Of Ventral Hernia

There are many causes of a ventral hernia. These include:

  • There is a weakness in the area of the incision made during a previous abdominal surgery.
  • There is a weakness in the abdominal wall from birth.
  • The conditions, which put a strain on the abdominal wall, make the wall weak. Obesity, coughing frequently, pregnancy, severe vomiting, lifting or pushing heavy objects and injuries to the bowel area are some of these conditions.

Symptoms Of Ventral Hernia

There may be the following symptoms of a ventral hernia.

  • A visible bulge in the abdomen
  • Pain and discomfort in the abdomen
  • Vomiting
  • Nausea

Diagnosis Of Ventral Hernia

The doctor will normally ask you some questions regarding your symptoms and also carry out a physical exam. He/she will go through your medical and surgical history. He/she will also suggest you undergo some imaging tests of your abdominal area, which will help to detect the signs of a ventral hernia. These tests include an ultrasound and a computed tomography (CT) scan.

Treatment For Ventral Hernia

Don’t expect that a ventral hernia will get better on its own. You need to undergo surgery for its repair. It can worsen with time if there is a lack of proper treatment and it also tends to become larger. The goal of the best hernia surgeon in Kolkata is to repair the hole in the abdominal wall to prevent the coming out of the intestine or abdominal tissue through that hole. He/she also forces the tissues back to the normal position before repairing the area. Open and laparoscopic are the two major types of hernia repair surgeries.

  • Open hernia repair: The surgeon makes a large incision in the abdominal area where the hernia has developed. After forcing the intestine or abdominal tissue back into place, he/she uses a mesh to repair the area.

Laparoscopic hernia repair: The most popular way of hernia repair nowadays is laparoscopic surgery. A laparoscopic surgeon in Kolkata uses a laparoscope (a thin tube with a light and a camera) and special surgical instruments for the surgery. He/she makes many small incisions in the abdomen and inserts these instruments through the incisions into the body. After the tissue is put back into place, he/she inserts a surgical mesh and uses it to strengthen the area to prevent any occurrence of hernia in the future. The laparoscope provides the surgeon with the necessary guidance during the surgery by sending images of the surgical site to a monitor. This procedure has many benefits including lower risk of infection, less post-operative pain, quick recovery, shorter hospital stays and resuming normal activities within a few days.