If you are a woman of childbearing age, you should talk to your hernia surgeon in Houston about how later pregnancy may affect your hernia repair. With any hernia repair, there is a risk of recurrence. Therefore, it’s important to know the risk factors of recurrence and what to expect. For example, pregnancy after ventral hernia surgery in Houston may increase your risk for hernia recurrence. Therefore, you should speak with your hernia specialist in Houston if you plan to become pregnant in the future after your hernia repair.
What is a Ventral Hernia? How Will My Hernia Surgeon in Houston Repair My Hernia?
A ventral hernia occurs when tissue bulges through your abdominal wall. These can happen anywhere in the abdominal area and often require immediate attention from a hernia surgeon in Houston. Ventral hernias can cause:
- Discomfort
- Pain
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Abnormal protrusions in the abdominal area
However, some patients don’t have any symptoms at all.
Depending on your specific situation, your hernia specialist in Houston may be able to use minimally invasive surgery to repair your hernia. Afterwards, your surgeon will give you post-operative instructions based on the type of hernia repair surgery, your overall state of health, and the area where the hernia occurred. Additionally, they will also give you recommendations and warnings about factors that may increase the risk of hernia recurrence. For example, pregnancy may increase the risk of ventral hernia recurrence.
How Does Pregnancy Affect My Risk of Recurrence?
Studies show that primary (or first) ventral hernia occurrence is low in pregnant women. However, for women that underwent hernia repair surgery before pregnancy, their risk for recurrence was nearly 56% higher compared to women who did not get pregnant after their hernia surgery. Therefore, it’s important to talk to your hernia surgeon in Houston about your reproductive plans for after your repair to help reduce the risk of recurrence.
There are a few reasons pregnancy may increase the risk of ventral hernia recurrence. During pregnancy, your abdominal wall stretches and the pressure inside your abdomen increases. This can increase the likelihood that your ventral hernia will recur. In addition, certain factors during labor can increase your risk of recurrence. Researchers believe that the longer the second stage of labor lasts, the more likely your hernia is to come back. Also, there may be a link between the use of manual fundal pressure and ventral hernia recurrence in pregnant women.
Therefore, you should discuss all these possibilities with your hernia surgeon in Houston to ensure you understand the risk factors of recurrence. Your surgeon can give you recommendations based on your specific circumstances to help you manage your health and reduce the risk of your hernia coming back.
At Texas Hernia Specialist, Dr. Rick Ngo has extensive hernia repair experience and can typically see new patients within 48 hours so you can receive quick treatment for your hernia pain. We are dedicated to providing superior customer care and state-of-the-art treatments for hernia repair and gallbladder surgery. Call our office today at (713) 255-6363 to schedule an appointment with our team. We are here to help you feel better.