Epigastric Hernia Repair : Curehealth

Epigastric Hernia Repair

Epigastric Hernia Repair is a type of surgery to repair the hernia in the epigastric region of the abdominal wall.

Some facts about Epigastric Hernia Repair:

Usually, Epigastric Hernias develop in the upper mid-abdomen along the line between the sternum and the belly button.
The abdominal contents will be protrude through creating a bulge because of either a congenital weakness or an acquired defect in the abdominal wall
You may experience pain at or near the area in addition to the deformity and an associated bulge.
A bump may occur in the area below your sternum, or breastbone, and above your belly button which is caused by a mass of fat that has pushed through the hernia.
This bump, or mass, may also grow and become larger in some cases.
You can have more than one epigastric hernia at the same time.
Tenderness and pain in the epigastric region may also occur in an epigastric hernia.
An epigastric hernia may occur when the tissues in the abdominal wall don't close completely during development

Epigastric Hernia operations are mostly performed on an outpatient basis. Therefore you will probably go home on the same day that the operation is performed.
Blood tests, medical evaluation, chest x-ray, and an EKG will be performed depending on your age and medical condition.
You will need to provide written consent for surgery after your surgeon reviews with you the potential risks and benefits of the operation.
An enema or similar preparation may be used after consulting with your surgeon if you have difficulties moving your bowels.
You should not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before the surgery. You can only medications that your surgeon has told you to take with a sip of water the morning of surgery.
Any history of bleeding disorders or are taking any blood-thinning (anticoagulant) medicines, aspirin, or other medicines that affect blood clotting should be informed to your healthcare provider as you may need to stop taking these medicines before your surgery.

An epigastric hernia can only be repaired through a surgery.
Surgery is even recommended for infants, due to the risk of the hernia enlarging and causing additional complications and pain.
You might only need sutures, or you may require an implanted mesh to complete the repair which is determined by the size of the hernia and other factors.
The open approach for Epigastric Hernia Repair can be done from the outside through an incision over the palpable mass which is usually done under local anesthesia with sedation.
The incision will extend through the skin, subcutaneous fat, through which the surgeon will be able to get to the level of the defect.
The defect can often be closed with sutures if it is small.
The laparoscopic approach cannot be done for small Epigastric Hernias as there is no visible peritoneal sac from inside the abdomen.
This approach can be done in large Epigastric Hernias with a peritoneal sac as it requires several small incisions away from the epigastrium for the operative trocars.
A piece of mesh will be placed within the abdomen through one of the trocar sites during the procedure which will be held in place with sutures through the muscle layers and surgical tacks around the edges of the mesh.