Should I have surgery for my hernia?

Hernia, which we commonly call intestinal hernia, is more common in children, but it does not rule out that adults and the elderly may also suffer from this disease. Since the causative factors of this disease are quite diverse and can cause many complications, people attach great importance to the treatment of hernia. Depending on each person's symptoms and causes, the treatment methods used are also different. Let's take a look at whether hernia requires surgery.

Does that mean you must have surgery if you have a hernia? Actually not! Let me tell you what to do if you have a hernia.

1. Bundling

As infants and young children grow and develop, the abdominal wall tissue gradually strengthens, which may cause some hernias to heal on their own. Therefore, inguinal hernia in infants and young children under six months old can be treated by local binding (or pediatric hernia belt).

Although infants and young children can try the bundling method, it is painful for the baby and local skin eczema and damage are very likely to occur. It may also affect activities and development. Therefore, I do not actively recommend that parents adopt it.

Hernias in adults will not heal on their own, but this does not mean that surgery is required. In addition to local discomfort, the main harm of hernia is that its complications affect the quality of life and work ability, as well as fertility and sexual life. More seriously, there is a risk of incarceration.

However, some types of hernias, such as direct hernias with a "large mouth and small body", often do not cause any discomfort, rarely have complications, and almost no incarceration. Therefore, there is no need to rush for surgery, and regular observation is sufficient.

Of course, this requires a comprehensive assessment after careful examination by an experienced hernia specialist.

3. Surgery

Surgery is currently the only way to cure hernia. For children's inguinal hernias and symptomatic adult hernias, especially femoral hernias and indirect hernias among inguinal hernias, they are prone to related complications and dangers and require surgical treatment as soon as possible.

4. Hernia belt

Hernia belts are suitable for those who are elderly and frail, those who are expected to die soon, or those who are contraindicated for surgery for other reasons.

Long-term use of a hernia belt can cause the hernia sac neck to gradually thicken, which may cause adhesion of the hernia contents to the hernia sac and increase the incidence of hernia incarceration, and increase the difficulty and risk of subsequent surgery. Therefore, it is not recommended for use as a routine treatment.

5. Traditional Chinese Medicine

Although traditional Chinese medicine has its own theory in treating hernia, it cannot change the pathological defects of inguinal hernia, let alone the related complications and risks.

The characteristics of injection therapy are "no surgery, minimally invasive, no scars, and effective with one injection". In fact, it is the local injection of hardeners, chemical glue, biological glue and other substances in the hope of adhesion and closing the abdominal wall defect.

This is not the case. Bloody lessons learned at home and abroad have proved that injection therapy not only cannot cure hernia, but will cause serious consequences such as abdominal adhesion, intestinal obstruction, spermatic cord vascular occlusion, vas deferens damage, and even lead to loss of fertility.

After the injection, local inflammation and scarring will occur, which will increase the difficulty and risk of subsequent operations. Therefore, this method is no longer used in regular hospitals and should be abandoned.