If you’ve been diagnosed with a hernia, you’ll most likely need surgery to successfully treat it. Fortunately, hernia repair surgery is common, but it’s very important to choose a surgeon who specializes in hernia repairs to help to minimize the risk of recurrence, infection and complications.
Research shows that as many as 30% of patients will experience a second hernia after their initial hernia repair. The last thing you want to worry about after surgery is another surgery. The good news is that patients whose surgery is performed at a high-volume, nationally accredited institution that specializes in hernia repair, such as the Hernia Center of Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC), tend to have much better outcomes. Here’s why:
Experience
Hernia surgery is complex, so it is important to choose a surgeon who has vast experience in treating hernias. NGMC’s hernia repair surgeons are experienced and highly skilled in open, laparoscopic and robotic hernia repair, and have performed nearly 6,000 minimally invasive hernia repairs and more than 2,500 robotic hernia repairs using the da Vinci surgical system.
Our surgeons are committed to providing the highest quality of care for patients who undergo hernia surgery, and you can trust that their experience will help ensure you have the best possible outcome. In fact, the Hernia Center of NGMC is nationally recognized by the Surgical Review Corporation as a Center of Excellence for both Hernia Surgery and Robotic Surgery.
Surgical mesh in hernia repair surgery is highly effective
Hernia mesh, also known as surgical mesh, is a medical device used to support damaged tissue around a hernia while it heals. The use of mesh in ventral, incisional and inguinal hernia repair is the standard of care in the United States.
At the Hernia Center of NGMC, our surgeons use mesh for most hernia repairs, as surgical mesh has proven to strengthen the area around the hernia, which in turn helps reduce the rate of recurrence. Research has consistently shown a lower recurrence rate using mesh versus repair without mesh, and the chances of hernia recurrence are decreased by as much as 50% when using mesh. Additionally, the use of mesh can also improve overall patient outcomes. In fact, our surgeons at the Hernia Center have seen decreased operative time and quicker recovery times for patients when using mesh in hernia repair.
In some cases, such as infected sites, surgical mesh is not recommended in hernia repair. Our surgeons will evaluate each case individually to develop the most appropriate treatment plan.
Low recurrence and complication rates
Although there is always a risk that a hernia will return after it has been repaired, selecting an experienced hernia surgeon with a high level of technical skill will significantly reduce the chances of recurrence or other complications.
Additionally, our staff at the Hernia Center of NGMC continually tracks and analyzes cases to determine best practices for our patients. Our hernia repair and revision outcomes are higher than the national average, while our complication rates remain much lower. Our recurrence rate is less than the national average, and less than 1% of patients need to return to the operating room or be readmitted to the hospital after surgery. Our surgeons also successfully treat patients who had initial hernia repair elsewhere but need revision surgery because their hernia has returned. It’s our goal to provide the best possible patient experience for our patients.
Learn more about the Hernia Center of Northeast Georgia Medical Center or call 770-219-4040 to speak to our care team about questions or to schedule an appointment.