Hernia and Reflux Surgery
Treatments
At Beltline Health, our team of highly skilled surgeons and medical staff perform minimally-invasive hernia surgery. We’re using ground-breaking techniques and cutting-edge robot-assisted technologies to treat complex abdominal hernias, and we provide training and expertise on hernia management throughout the Southeast.
We’re committed to helping you achieve lasting relief from the pain and discomfort associated with all types of herniation, including complex post-surgical incisional hernias, inguinal hernias, and hiatal hernias.
Complex Incisions
An incisional hernia is a common complication following all types of abdominal surgeries, such as a Cesarean section, hysterectomy, radical cystectomy, bowel resection, and exploratory surgery.
Surgical incisions that either partially or fully severe the abdominal muscles can weaken these muscles, which increases the risk of herniation along the incision line. The risk developing an incisional hernia is greatest for patients who gain significant amounts of weight following their abdominal surgery, or who participate in vigorous exercise before the incision is fully healed.
Hernia surgery on incisional hernias involves pushing the protruding tissue back behind the abdominal muscles, removal of any scar tissue, and placement of a specialized surgical mesh to minimize the chance of a recurrence of the herniation.
Inguinal Hernia
An inguinal hernia can develop when intestinal tissue, fatty tissue, or part of the bowel protrudes through a weak spot in the lower abdominal wall, resulting in a bulge that appears in the groin area. This type of hernia tends to develop slowly in the groin, and can form as a result of a congenital (birth) defect or prolonged stress to the area from physical activity. While inguinal hernias can impact both men and women, this type of hernia is most common among men.
Over time, inguinal hernias can become enlarged and painful, and the herniated tissue can become strangulated, leading to severe pain, nausea, and vomiting. If this occurs, emergency hernia surgery is often needed.
Hiatal Hernia (Anti-Reflux)
A hiatal hernia results from high intra-abdominal pressure from chronic coughing, vomiting, pregnancy, and obesity. This added pressure may cause a portion of the upper stomach to push through the diaphragm into the chest cavity, leading to symptoms such as heartburn, belching, bloating, and ongoing discomfort in the digestive tract.
In many cases, hiatal hernias can be successfully managed through diet and lifestyle modifications, however, some patients do require hernia surgery to restore blood flow to the herniated portion of the stomach
Robotic Hernia Surgery
Recent developments in the use of robot-assisted hernia surgery means that patients who suffer from complex herniations can now enjoy faster recovery times and a lowered risk of postoperative complications when compared to traditional, open hernia surgery.
During robotic hernia surgery, your surgeon creates a series of small incisions around the surgical site then inserts a series of tiny robot-assisted high definition cameras and surgical instruments to restore the herniated tissue to the original location and repair the damaged muscles.