A hernia is a bump or swelling that appears along your stomach or groin area. If you can see it, it will look like a bulge that wouldn’t normally be there. If you can feel it, you may feel pressure, a dull ache or a sharp pain. If you have frequent discomfort or severe pain, contact your primary care physician right away.

Hernias are very common and usually are not a serious medical condition, but will most likely need to be repaired at some point. Hernias can get worse as you get older and cause serious health complications. If you think you may have a hernia, you should get it checked by your healthcare provider. 

A hernia is caused when a muscle or tissue in your stomach tears and allows an organ or fatty tissue to stick out through your muscle wall. Hernias can be a result of injury, surgery, or a weaknesses in the abdominal wall that can be present at birth and grow over time.

Where are hernias often found?

• Lower chest
• Groin
• Front midline of your stomach
• Through an incision from a past surgery

There are eight different types of hernias. The most common is an Inguinal Hernia (groin), which accounts for 75% of all diagnosed hernias, affecting 25% of men. The other seven types of hernias are less common. These are: femoral hernia, hiatal hernia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, incisional hernia, umbilical hernia, ventral hernia and perineal hernia.

A simple physical examination can often diagnose a hernia, depending on the type. During the exam, if your provider can see or feel your hernia, they will try to push it back to the location where it came from. You may be asked to squat or bend over as a hernia can be more visable with different movements of the body. If your provider can not push the hernia back into place during the physical exam, they may order a CT scan to diagnose your hernia.

Hernias most likely will worsen over time resulting in surgery at some point, which is common. There are three ways to repair a hernia, open, laparoscopically and robotic.  Your surgeon will discuss which approach would be best for your hernia. During a hernia repair, the surgeon will close the hernia defect and reinforce the closure.

A hernia left untreated may cause severe pain and other complications. The risks of hernia repairs are minimal compared to the risks of leaving your hernia untreated. 

During robotic surgery, the robot is controlled by an experienced CHA surgeon. But unlike traditional open surgery or laparoscopy (keyhole) surgery, the surgeon can use smaller holes, get a better view inside your body and have more precise control of the instruments.

CHA is now offering robotic surgery using one of the world’s most sophisticated systems. This gives you access to outstanding specialty care closer to where you live and work.

Schedule a consult today: 617-665-2555

"While surgery is more effective and safer than at any time in history, it remains a complicated endeavor and has tremendous variation - from surgeon to surgeon and patient to patient. Surgical robots help control the variables, making your surgery more uniform and precise.

The da Vinci Xi brings together the art and science of surgery. This means better, more reliable outcomes for a growing number of procedures." 

- Dr. Siva Vithinanthan, CHA Chief of Surgery