After recovery, you can usually return to work or school within
2 to 3 days
. You will not be able to lift anything over 10 pounds, climb, or do strenuous activity for 4 to 6 weeks following surgical repair of a ventral hernia.
Is ventral hernia repair a major surgery?
The operation is called laparoscopic or robotic ventral hernia repair. It is a type of
minimally invasive surgery
. You may recover faster from minimally invasive surgery and have less pain.
How long are you in the hospital after ventral hernia surgery?
Plan to stay in the hospital as an inpatient
5 – 7 days
after your procedure. Depending on the size of your hernia, at times you will spend the initial night after surgery in the intensive care unit.
How long after ventral hernia surgery can I drive?
Normally, you should refrain from driving for
at least 1 week
after a hernia repair operation. You should be free from the distracting effect of pain or the sedative or other effects of any pain relief medication you are taking.
Is it normal to have pain 6 months after hernia surgery?
Experiencing pain after hernia surgery is part of the normal healing process. If you had inguinal hernia surgery in the groin area and your pain after surgery is lasting longer than six months, however,
it is considered to be chronic pain
. Chronic pain is not normal and should never be ignored.
How can I flatten my stomach after hernia surgery?
Walking, yoga, and low-impact activities
may be a great way to begin. Avoid exercises that involve jumping or doing squats, which can increase pressure on your abdominal wall. You want to warm up properly as well, to avoid tearing or pulling abdominal muscles.
How painful is ventral hernia surgery?
Patients undergoing laparoscopic ventral hernia repair with primarily transabdominal sutures or tacks experience
similar overall postoperative pain
. Symptoms are moderate by the end of the first postoperative week and mild by 1 month.
How successful is ventral hernia repair?
The rate of ventral incisional hernia in the long term after laparotomy has been reported to be as high as
20% to 25%
. Multiple studies have suggested that laparoscopic repair of ventral hernias carries a lower recurrence rate and shorter hospital stay with quicker recovery.
How serious is a ventral hernia?
Ventral hernias do not go away or get better on their own and require surgery to repair. In fact, without treatment, ventral hernias can get larger and worsen with time.
Untreated hernias can become difficult to repair and can lead to serious complications, such as strangulation of a portion of the intestine
.
What is the fastest way to recover from hernia surgery?
Gentle exercise, such as walking, can help you heal faster
. Avoid lifting anything heavy or performing strenuous activities for at least four weeks. Sexual intercourse is permitted when you feel ready—generally, around two to three weeks post-surgery.
What can you eat after ventral hernia surgery?
- Soy, almond, rice or cow's milk.
- Plain or vanilla yogurt.
- Sherbet.
- Vanilla ice cream.
- Creamed vegetables (strained)
- Cream of wheat.
- Nutritional drinks (except chocolate)
- Vanilla pudding.
What is the best position to sleep after hernia surgery?
The doctors do not recommend sleeping on the stomach after the surgery. This position can hurt your spine and can also pressurize the hip area. Try to control your sleeping habits if you are a stomach sleeper. It is best to sleep
on your side or back
.
How soon can you walk up stairs after hernia surgery?
For the first week following your surgery you should avoid any strenuous physical activity.
Walking short distances and going up and down stairs is acceptable
. Do not drive for at least 5 days after surgery.
How long does open ventral hernia surgery take?
An open hernia repair can most often be completed in
less than two hours
, depending on the size and complexity of the hernia. In some cases, a mesh patch may be placed over the gap in order to support the damaged muscles.
How long do you have to wear abdominal binder after hernia surgery?
The abdominal binder is worn from immediately after the operation and continuously for
7 days and nights
.
Can coughing damage my hernia repair?
What activity can I do? Deep breathing and circulation exercises are good. Try to avoid vigorous coughing if your repair was done with the open method.
Coughing may strain your incision
.
How do I know if I damaged my hernia repair?
- Bloating and/or an inability to pass stools or gas.
- Fever when its cause is unknown.
- Chills, nausea, and/or vomiting.
- Warm or hot skin where the incision occurred.
- The wound from surgery is not healing in due time.
Does hernia mesh last forever?
Non-absorbable mesh will remain in the body indefinitely
and is considered a permanent implant. It is used to provide permanent reinforcement to the repaired hernia. Absorbable mesh will degrade and lose strength over time. It is not intended to provide long-term reinforcement to the repair site.
Why is my stomach bigger after hernia surgery?
Why is my stomach bigger after hernia surgery? It is normal to experience swelling, pain and bruising at any surgical site, including areas post-op for hernia repair.
Swelling is due to the presence of fluid at the surgical area as the body goes through its healing process
.
Can you lose weight after a hernia repair?
Lose Weight After Hernia Surgery
Being overweight can put extra pressure on your abdominal wall. This extra pressure after hernia surgery can cause strain while standing or sitting.
Losing weight can help reduce this strain from causing another hernia to develop
.
Does a hernia make you look fat?
Appearance.
The hernia will look like a bulge or bump in the scrotum or groin region
. Standing or bearing down with force will often make the bulge more noticeable. The bulge typically takes time to appear, but it can form suddenly after coughing, lifting heavy weights, straining, bending, or laughing.
How do you sleep after ventral hernia surgery?
At first you may need to
rest in bed with your upper body raised on pillows
. This helps you breathe easier and may help lessen post-surgery hernia pain. Cold and Heat: Both cold and heat can help lessen some types of post-op pain.
Does a ventral hernia repair require hospitalization?
Most ventral hernia repairs are done on an outpatient basis. This means that you will likely go home on the same day.
If the hernia is very large, you may need to stay in the hospital for a couple of days
. After surgery, your vital signs such as pulse, blood pressure, and breathing will be monitored.
How long does a hernia operation take?
The operation usually takes about
30 to 45 minutes
to complete and you'll usually be able to go home on the same day. Some people stay in hospital overnight if they have other medical problems or live on their own.
Can you live with a ventral hernia?
Ventral hernias cannot heal on their own
. Most commonly, ventral hernias are surgically repaired in order to avoid the risk of the intestine becoming strangulated (cut off from the body's blood supply). Strangulation is considered a medical emergency.
Can you repair a ventral hernia without mesh?
No mesh hernia repair is a surgical technique used to correct ventral and incisional hernias without the use of mesh
. Mesh is made from foreign bodies like animal tissue and synthetic materials like polyester and polypropylene, both of which can result in infection and internal damage.
