Introduction to Pediatric Hernia Surgery

Expectant mothers are all looking forward to the arrival of a new life, which is a happy event for the whole family. However, the situation of each baby in the womb is different, and the situation of each new life is also different. Some babies have a "process vaginalis sheath" in the groin during the embryonic period, and then there will be a hernia, so mothers must perform surgery for their children in time. Let's take a look today.

Hernia in children is commonly known as "intestinal herniation" or "intestinal hernia". During the embryonic period, there is a "peritoneal processus vaginalis" in the groin. After some children are born, the processus vaginalis is not completely closed. When the intra-abdominal pressure increases, the small intestine, omentum, etc. in the abdominal cavity enter the processus vaginalis, which becomes a hernia. It may also be accompanied by diseases such as spermatic cord or testicular hydrocele.

Minimally invasive surgical treatment: Minimally invasive surgery to repair hernia notch is still the best and effective treatment method. The surgical method is to push the intestines back into the abdominal cavity, directly suture the gap in the abdominal wall, or take side wall tissue to fill the gap. If the gap is difficult to fill, an artificial omentum will be sutured. The surgical approach is different for children and adults. The instructions are as follows:

a. Children: The protruding intestines are pushed back, and then the abnormal opening of the hernia in the abdominal wall is ligated and closed. This operation is called high ligation.

b. Adults: Tissue suturing: This is a more traditional method, which is to sew up the weaker abdominal wall.

Tension-free method: It uses artificial omentum to repair hernia. The advantages of this surgery are short operation time, rapid patient recovery, low recurrence rate, and reduced postoperative pain. Only partial or local anesthesia is required, and you can be discharged from the hospital on the same day or the next day of the operation, and you can resume your normal life after about a week. However, not all hernias are suitable for repair with artificial mesh, and the size and shape of the hernia need to be considered. This repair method is of great value for hernias in the elderly or recurrent hernias.

Endoscopic method: The latest method is to use laparoscope to enter the abdominal cavity to perform surgery; since this method requires general anesthesia and the use of artificial omentum, it is more expensive. At present, the surgical method is still immature and is rarely used at home and abroad. However, because its wound is small in appearance and recovers quickly, it may develop well in the future.

Anesthesia method: The anesthesia methods used for surgery and anesthesia for adults can be divided into local anesthesia, hemiplegia or general anesthesia. Most hernia surgeries use hemiplegia, and only more complicated hernias require general anesthesia. As for children, general anesthesia is used and they are asleep during the operation.

Most surgical repairs of hernias can be completed within one or two hours, and usually require hospitalization for one to three days. Sometimes, depending on the method of surgery and the patient's condition, hospitalization is not required after the surgery and the patient can go home directly to recuperate. Patients can resume their normal life one week after the stitches are removed.

Based on the above, we know that hernia surgery for children is very simple and will heal quickly, so mothers do not need to worry too much. As long as they have confidence, they can comfort their children and communicate more with them in daily life to let them know that it is nothing and they will be fine after the surgery. I hope the baby will recover as soon as possible.