Link Between Weight And Hernia Surgery Explained

Waxahachie, Texas -

The Iskandar Complex Hernia Center, based in Waxahachie, TX, has released a new article, titled Weight and Hernia Surgery: Your Questions Answered. As the title suggests, the article explores some of the most frequently asked questions on the relationship between weight and hernia surgery, and what patients can do to improve the outcome of their surgery.

According to the clinic, a hernia is the name given to a phenomenon that describes an internal part of the body pushing through a weakness in the muscle or surrounding tissue wall. While it may not lead to any noticeable symptoms, aside from a possible lump or swelling in the abdomen or groin, patients should be aware that it will not recover on its own, and hernia surgery is required to rectify it. The severity and position of the hernia will determine how crucial it is for the patient to undergo surgery immediately, and the clinic clarifies that some people may never even need surgery if the hernia is small enough. In those who do need surgical intervention, however, a number of factors can make their symptoms and outlook worse.

To begin with, the clinic’s article confirms that obesity raises the risk of developing hernias in the abdominal wall. It says, “Being overweight puts more strain and pressure on your abdominal muscles, making them weaker and more vulnerable to hernia development. This extra weight leads to the hernia’s size increasing over time. In some cases, a loop of intestine can become trapped in muscle tissue, causing severe pain and requiring immediate medical attention. Multiple hernias in the muscular wall may occur as a result of being morbidly obese.”

In addition to increasing the risk of developing a hernia, being overweight or obese can cause the hernia to get worse over time. “Obese patients can have serious hernia complications,” the article says, “such as the intestine becoming trapped in muscle tissue and strangulating as a result of a lack of blood supply. Morbidly obese patients are also at risk of developing abdominal wall hernias with the potential complication of small bowel obstruction.”

The clinic adds that patients sometimes wonder whether a hernia can cause bloating and weight gain. According to their experts, a hernia cannot itself cause this, but it can cause an individual to feel as if they have eaten a large meal when they have not (if it is an inguinal hernia). Depending on where the hernia occurs, it may also cause bloating and discomfort in the groin and lower abdomen.

The issues caused by obesity do not end here, unfortunately. Hernia repair surgery on an obese patient can pose a higher risk of infection, and the wound may not heal as well or as rapidly as it should following the procedure. The Iskandar Complex Hernia Center has treated patients who required longer surgical procedures that were in turn followed by a longer period of recovery. Further, being overweight, obese or morbidly obese is associated with a risk of hernia recurrence, and the patient may need a subsequent surgery to repair it. Fortunately, studies have shown that the hernia recurrence rate drastically decreases with weight loss for obese patients.

One of the most severe risks an obese hernia patient faces is a pulmonary embellism, which is caused by a blood clot in the leg traveling to their lungs. This is a life-threatening condition.

The article offers some hope here, explaining that, “Medical weight loss prior can not only help laparoscopic repair go more smoothly, but it will also reduce postoperative complications. Anyone who requires hernia surgery should begin losing weight prior to surgery in order to achieve a more healthy weight and body mass index. The team at The Iskandar Complex Hernia Center will answer all of your questions about how much weight you should lose before surgery.” While diet and exercise is recommended for patients who could improve their chances of a fully successful surgery, weight-loss surgery may be recommended for obese patients who find the target weight to be inordinately difficult to achieve. “Because he is committed to treating you as a whole person,” the article points out, “Dr. Iskandar can help you with weight loss strategies before your hernia surgery. He also performs bariatric surgery.”

Dr. Mazen Iskandar, MD, FACS is one of the nation’s premier experts in hernia repair. He is a board-certified general surgeon with fellowship training in minimally invasive and bariatric surgery, and both he and his team are committed to helping patients achieve full hernia recovery under ideal conditions. Patients may read the clinic’s full article to learn more about the link between weight and hernia surgery, but they are also welcome to contact the clinic to learn more.