Hernia Repair Recovery Often Longer Than Expected | WPN World People News

People who undergo surgery to repair an abdominal hernia may underestimate how long their recovery will take, new research indicates.

Hernia surgery involves closing a gap that has formed in the muscle walls of the abdomen. This common procedure is needed to treat pain or obstructions that occur when organs or soft tissue push through this muscle opening.

Although patients who have a hernia repaired using minimally invasive technology often expect to return to their normal daily routine quickly, a study found many of these people still feel pain and fatigue for up to a week after their procedure.

In conducting the study, scheduled for presentation Thursday at the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons' annual meeting in Salt Lake City, the researchers examined the quality of life of 18 patients in the week following hernia surgery. They found that after surgery, the amount of fatigue and pain reported by the patients did not lessen to pre-surgery levels until seven days after the procedure. Longer recovery times were more common among women and those younger than 60.

The researchers suggested that doctors should make sure their patients know what to expect during recovery. Having more realistic expectations will help patients cope with the pain and fatigue they may experience after their operation.

"It's worse than expected for the patients, probably. So I think it's important for patients to have a realistic expectation, so they're not surprised and disappointed," expert said in the news release.

About 90,000 laparoscopic ventral hernia repairs are performed in the United States each year.

Source: HealthDay News