THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 16, 1994 TAG: 9410140216
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
Like so many operations that once required several days of recuperation, hernia repair today can get you back to work swiftly.
``It used to take six to eight weeks before you could get back to work,'' says Dr. Michael C. Blake. ``Now, you can return within a few days. I've seen some people go back the day after surgery. A few days later they were moving, lifting, golfing.''
An added plus, he says, is ``minimum pain and discomfort.''
In years past, quite a lot of pain was involved and a lot more medication was needed.
But with modern techniques ``you just need something like Tylenol,'' says Blake. ``Some people don't even need that.''
Blake is a private practitioner, a general surgeon who does laparascopic surgery and endoscopies using scopes for biopsies and removal of polyps.
More money is needed for the hernia repair procedure.
``The cost is higher,'' Blake concedes, ``but most insurance companies pay because the patient gets back to work quicker.''
The procedure is quick, lasting only about an hour.
It is important because hernias are not self-healing, the pain will probably increase and the hernia will probably grow in size.
A hernia is the protrusion of all or part of an organ through a tear in the abdominal wall, usually in the area of the groin.
Some patients require an incision made over the hernia site. The surgeon repairs the hole or weakness in the abdominal wall by sewing strong surrounding muscle over the defect.
Blake also uses the laparoscopic method requiring three small incisions in the abdomen.
``A long, thin tube with a camera lens is inserted,'' he says. ``The procedure is done while watching the television monitor.''
The procedure: The surgeon goes in with a small piece of mesh inserted in the abdomen to repair the defect.
The laparascopic method, an improvement over the old method ``of going in and cutting, is comparatively new,'' says Blake, who introduced the method in Suffolk. ``The overall recurrence rate will probably be less than 1 percent.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by FRANK ROBERTS
Vanessa Evans, a licensed practical nurse and certified surgical
technician, illustrates the modern method of hernia repair.
YOU SHOULD KNOW:
About 80 percent of hernias affect the groin area. Usually, they
result from strain on the abdominal muscles, which have been
weakened by age or congenital factors.
The types of activity associated with the appearance of such a
hernia include lifting heavy weights; sudden twists, pulls or muscle
strains; marked gains in weight causing an increase in pressure on
the abdominal wall; chronic constipation that places a strain on the
abdomen; repeated attacks of coughing.
For more information on hernias and the surgery, call 934-7681.
by CNB