Understanding Hernias and Treatment in Singapore, as Explained by a Specialist
Written By TheCRCS
January 2, 2025
Posted by Dr. Ronnie Mathew, Senior Consultant Surgeon
A hernia occurs when an internal part of the body pushes through a weak spot in the surrounding muscle or tissue wall. There are many types of hernia, depending on the body's sites and the nature of hernia protrusion. Abdominal hernias occur when a weakness in the wall of the tummy (abdominal wall) results in some of the contents in the abdominal cavity bulging through. Inguinal hernias are the most common among the abdominal hernias.
Some common abdominal Hernias:
An abdominal hernia occurs when an organ or tissue pushes through a weak spot in our abdominal wall, creating a visible bulge and causing discomfort.
What are the main causes for Hernia?
There are many contributing factors that can cause a hernia to occur:
Congenital (i.e., present at birth):
An opening or weak spot that’s present at birth.
Congenital differences in the strength of your connective tissue (collagen).
Acquired (due to the below risk factors):
Chronic persistent cough
Chronic straining on the toilet
Frequent lifting, carrying or pushing of heavy loads
Being overweight
Pregnancy
Previous abdominal surgery, that can lead to an opening or weak spot
Why do Hernias need treatment?
Although having a hernia is not usually a serious condition, treatment to fix it is usually advised for two reasons:
It may gradually become bigger and more uncomfortable.
The contents of the hernia may become trapped in the weak point in the abdominal wall. This can cause bowel obstruction with severe pain, nausea and vomiting (incarcerated hernia).
There is a small chance the hernia might strangulate:
This happens when the bowel (intestine) that comes through the gap in the weak spot becomes squeezed. This can cut off the blood supply to the portion of intestine in the hernia.
This can lead to severe pain and some damage to the part of the intestines in the hernia.
A strangulated hernia is uncommon and is usually dealt with by emergency surgery.
The risk of strangulation is greater with a femoral hernia than with an inguinal hernia. The risk is also greater with smaller hernias. In some areas, NHS funding for hernia repair is not automatically given and your GP or surgeon may need to apply for this.
Do you need an operation to repair the Hernia?
Most hernias do not need immediate treatment (unless it is an emergency hernia presentation). Although hernias can be managed conservatively (without an operation), it is generally advisable to repair them for the above-mentioned reasons. Surgery is the most common treatment for a hernia.
What are the types of surgical approaches for Hernia operation?
The three main types of hernia surgery are open, laparoscopic (minimally invasive), and robotic repair (minimally invasive). In all three approaches, the surgeon puts the contents of the hernia back into its original position and then repairs the hernia defect. Synthetic or biological meshes are then used to repair the defect.
Your surgery and recovery will depend on multiple factors, including the type of hernia you have and how complex the surgery will be.
Open (conventional): This is usually done by a cut over the hernia swelling.
Laparoscopic: This is done by usually three tiny cuts (half to one cm cuts). Then, a video camera (laparoscope) is inserted to view the area.
Robotic: The cuts on the skin are similar to laparoscopic surgery’s. The surgeon then controls the robotic instruments to perform the operation.
