Abdominal Wall Hernia and Component Separation Repair

Abdominal wall hernia is one of the most common complications that several patients experience. While 75% of the abdominal hernias are inguinal, the rest comprises the incisional and femoral hernia.

The abdominal wall hernias include the umbilical, epigastric, Spigelian, and incisional hernia. An abdominal hernia is marked by protrusion around the abdominal region, caused after surgery because of the weaker abdominal walls or because of a congenital weakness.

A component separation repair is a surgical procedure that corrects the issue and helps restore the normal function of the affected area. In case you have been looking for a complete guide into abdominal wall hernia and component separation repair, this article has it all.

Table of Contents

Feel free to skip ahead if one topic catches your eye

1. What causes Abdominal Wall Hernia?
2. What happens if the Hernia is left untreated?
3. What is a Hernia Component Separation Surgery?
4. Different Hernia Component Separation Techniques and Procedure
5. What are the Advantages of Common Separation Surgery?
6. What are the risks associated with the surgery?
7. Recovery

Take Away

1. What causes Abdominal Wall Hernia?

Besides congenital defects, abdominal wall hernias can be caused by many other reasons, especially after surgery. Typically, every type of hernia, especially the abdominal hernia is caused by increased pressure on the abdominal walls and an opening, or weakness of the muscles or fascia.

The constant pressure put on these muscles forces an organ or the surrounding tissues to slip through the weak opening of the muscles. Following are some of the common reasons that could contribute to the hernia:

• Heavy-lifting without stabilizing the muscles
• Severe coughing and sneezing
• Smoking
• Surgical complications
• Obesity
• Poor lifestyle, especially nutrition

[1]

2. What happens if the Hernia is left untreated?

Unlike other complications in the body, the hernia doesn’t self-heal. Instead, it gets bigger and worse if left untreated. It can also lead to further complications, affecting the other organs present around the abdominal cavity of the body.

If you suspect a hernia, it is always important to schedule an immediate appointment with your doctor. In some cases, the hernia stops growing, but may also become larger and even results in a strangulated hernia that affects the normal blood circulation.

If left untreated, the abdominal hernia becomes extremely complicated to treat. So, if you notice any sign, consult a doctor immediately before it becomes a strangulated hernia and ruptures the organs around it.

[2]

3. What is a Hernia Component Separation Surgery?

A hernia component separation surgery is a complex open surgery conducted to separate the complex hernias attached firmly to the abdominal wall. This involves the repair of the abdominal wall and the surrounding area with the concept of autologous tissue repair.

In this procedure, the abdominal wall is cut to allow free movement of the surrounding muscle sections. Once that happens, the moving sections are attached in the middle of the hernia repair and then stitched back together, thus completing the restoration procedure.

Sometimes, a mesh is also inserted to reinforce the repair process, further ensuring outgrowth and spread of the hernia. It is generally subdivided into three other types, depending on the section of the abdomen the surgery is conducted on.

[3]

4. Different Hernia Component Separation Techniques and Procedure

Hernia Component Separation Surgery is further classified into three different types. They include:

• Anterior component separation
• Posterior component separation 
• Transversus abdominis release

The type of the hernia component separation surgery depends on the area of the abdomen where the surgery is done. If it is done in the anterior part, it is the anterior component surgery, and so on. Both the anterior and posterior techniques are currently done endoscopically for faster results.

The transversus abdominis release is a recent technique that is characterized under the posterior CST. With the advancing medical technologies, even laparoscopic and robot-assisted transervus abdominis release is performed by the surgeons.

[4]

5. What are the Advantages of Common Separation Surgery?

The advantages of hernia joint separation surgery are extremely crucial. It helps restore the function of the abdominal muscles and the organs surrounding it. Some of the common benefits of this surgery for a hernia include:

• Prevents further growth of the hernia in the abdominal cavity
• Prevents the risks of formation of strangulated hernia
• Prevents rupture of the other organs in close periphery
• Strengthens and reconstructs the abdominal walls and cavity

6. What are the risks associated with the surgery?

Like any other surgical procedure, even the common separation technique poses a host of complications and risks that the patients might have to endure. Some of the common risks include:

• Hematoma
• Infection
• Discomfort and inflammation
• Necrosis of the wound
• Seroma

The majority of these risks are not permanent and can be treated with medication and proper care. If you are worried that undergoing surgery will pose more risks to your body than good, you are entirely mistaken.

Just ensure that you do proper research about the surgeon and the facility you are getting the procedure. It is essential to check their license, their certifications, and the experience of the surgeon before you give your consent to the procedure.

7. Recovery

The recovery timeline for hernia surgery is subjective. If the patient underwent open surgery, they are often under observation for a day and discharged the next day. The doctor will instruct you to take rest and do light-load work for three weeks after the surgery. 

But, heavy-load work like bending down and carrying heavy loads should be avoided for at least 6-8 weeks, depending on the healing progress of the incision and how the patient feels in general. 

Patients might sometimes experience pain and inflammation for a few days after the surgery and might be under prescribed medications. The first week of recovery is the hardest with a lot of pain and discomfort around the incision site.

Take Away

A hernia can be a complicated (and sometimes) life-threatening condition. If you witness it getting worse, undergoing the hernia component separation surgery is the best option. The procedure is not complicated, shows excellent results, and the recovery is pretty simple. Just make sure that you consult a certified professional who has years of experience conducting similar surgeries.

Source & References:

1^ What causes Abdominal Wall Hernia? WebMD | January 08, 2021

2^ What happens if the Hernia is left untreated? The Surgery Group | January 08, 2021

3^ What is a Hernia Component Separation Surgery? NCBI | January 08, 2021

4^ Different Hernia Component Separation Techniques and Procedure UIHC | January 08, 2021