About Open Hernia Surgery
Open hernia surgery is the standard of care in hernia repair. In open surgery,
the skin and fat over a hernia are opened, the hernia is located, and a small mesh is placed
under the hole in the muscle. The skin is then closed over the hernia repair site.
Open surgery can be used for all hernias including inguinal, umbilical, incisional, ventral, sports, and
femoral.
Open Inguinal Hernia Repair
Inguinal hernias are caused by a hole in the muscle of the groin. This hole can either be lateral to the blood vessels (indirect inguinal hernia), or towards the middle from the blood vessels (direct inguinal hernia). Regardless, in open surgery, the muscle layers over the weakened muscle are opened. The hole (or holes) in the muscle are found. A dual sided mesh is used to reinforce the hernia defect and the muscle around the hole.
The dual mesh allows one layer (with the blue circles) to be placed under the muscle, while the other top layer is placed over the damaged muscle. With this type of repair, the weakened muscles are treated from both the inside AND the outside of the hole. This cannot be done in laparoscopic surgery since only an inner layer mesh can be used.
Open Inguinal Hernia Repair Video
In the video below, Dr. Harris narrates an open inguinal hernia repair done at California Hernia Specialists' hernia center.
Open Umbilical Hernia Repair
Umbilical hernia repairs are almost always best done open. During open surgery, a small incision is made in the crease under the belly button. The belly button is lifted off of the underlying muscle and fat. The hole in the muscle is exposed and a mesh is placed through the hole.
The mesh is then sutures (sewn) to the surrounding healthy muscle in several locations. Once the mesh is securely fastened to the muscle, the belly button is replaced down to the muscle or fat and the skin is sewn closed.
Open Umbilical Hernia Repair Video
In the video below, Dr. Harris narrates an open umbilical hernia repair done at California Hernia Specialists' hernia center.
The Use of Mesh
We don't advocate the use of a tension, or non-mesh hernia repair as shown below. The reasons for this are well described on our "Truth About Hernia Mesh" page.
Tension Free Repair
The term 'tension free' hernia repair is commonly used to describe hernia surgery. Hernias are caused by a weakening of the abdominal muscles. Some surgeons choose to sew the muscles back together, thus causing 'tension' on the muscles around the hernia. However, the muscles around a hernia are already weak, and over time those muscles tend to pull apart and the hernia can recur, or come back. Therefore, most hernia specialists today utilize a mesh to help strengthen the muscles. When using a mesh, the muscles themselves are not sewn together (see below). Instead, a mesh is placed over or under the hole in the muscle to prevent anything from pushing through the abdominal wall.
Some patients have heard or read negative information about mesh surgery. However, the unbiased government agency The National Institutes of Health performed a study of whether mesh should or should not be used for hernia surgery. Read the article by clicking on the logo to the right. While there are some risks with mesh, by utilizing the newest mesh available, these risks are minimized.
Patients can read more on our "Truths About Hernia Mesh" page.
Our Approach
Dr. Harris specializes in surgical repair for all hernia types. For patients who require a laparoscopic surgery, Dr. Harris commonly performs these procedures. When performing a tension free mesh hernia repair, Dr. Harris uses the latest and most advanced lightweight mesh available which significantly reduces pain and discomfort after the surgery. Many surgeons still use mesh which was invented 10 years ago which can increase the chances of post operative mesh pain. Today's advanced mesh reduces those risks to almost zero.
Although open surgical hernia repair is still an important option for many patients, every patient should consider being seen by a surgeon who can perform advanced laparoscopic hernia surgery and who uses the newest lightweight mesh. Only a small handful of the hundreds of general surgeons in Orange County, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Diego have the experience to perform hernia surgeries using laparoscopic techniques and use cutting edge lightweight mesh.
Important points to consider when choosing a hernia surgeon:
- The newest, advanced lightweight mesh can reduce not only recurrence rates for hernias, but also reduces the chance of postoperative mesh pain to almost zero.
- Being treated at a specialized hernia center with an in-house accredited ASC provides the highest quality care before, during, and after your hernia surgery.
- Patients should be seen by a surgeon who can offer all forms of hernia surgery, including open lightweight mesh techniques, as well as advanced laparoscopic techniques. This ensures the surgeon can offer the best technique tailored for each patient.
- Costs for uninsured patients are approximately $1500 for the surgeon fees, and $2000 for the surgery center fees (including OR time, materials, and recovery) for a total of approximately $3500.
- Some laparoscopic patients experience less pain post-operatively and may be able to return to normal activities sooner (when compared to traditional hernia repair). Laparoscopic hernia surgery can result in better patient experiences for some patients.
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Dr. Harris sees patients from all over Southern California, the greater US, and Canada. Our Newport Beach office is conveniently located in Central Orange county adjacent to John Wayne Airport between the 405, 73, and 55 highways.
Our office staff are experienced in verifying insurance coverage for each patient, as well as offering excellent pricing for patients without insurance (see costs above). We are happy to discuss all forms of payments with patients as needed.
