Obturator Hernia

A hernia is caused when the abdominal tissue protrudes through a weak spot in the abdominal wall as a sac of tissues. An obturator hernia is a very rare type of hernia that occurs when the intestine tissues through an opening in the pelvis.  The obturator foramen is an opening in the pelvis through which blood vessels and nerves passes. An obturator hernia is caused when the intestinal tissues bulges through the obturator foramen opening. This type of hernia occurs in women particularly elderly women.

Obturator Hernia – Symptoms

Symptoms of Obturator hernia includes:

• Bowel obstruction
• Abdominal bloating
• Pain
• Constipation
• Nausea
• Vomiting

Causes of Obturator Hernia

Aging can cause loosening of muscle mass and fatty tissue and the intestinal tissues or organ enters the obturator canal. Multiple birth and obesity can also cause obturator hernia. Obturator hernia is diagnosed by imaging tests including CT scan, ultrasound scan or MRI scan.

Treatment

Laparoscopic surgery can be performed to recover from obturator hernia. The surgery is initiated by administering a dose of anesthesia to relax the patient and to reduce the pain and discomfort caused by the condition. The surgeon makes a small incision in the abdominal wall and inserts a laparoscope to view the internal abdominal cavity and associated organs. A laparoscope is a thin long tube that has a camera attached to its end and enables the surgeon to view enlarged images of the cavity and the organs with a monitor attached. After investigation, the surgeon makes few more incisions to insert hernia repair tools and the bulged tissues are pushed back and placed in position. Later a mesh is placed in the weak spot of the abdominal wall to prevent the possibility of reoccurrence of hernia. Later the incisions are closed and sutured.

After the surgery, medications are administrated to reduce pain and discomfort from the surgery. The patient can leave the hospital in a day or two and are instructed not to do any heavy tasks like weight lifting.

Advantages of laparoscopic hernia removal include:

• Few small incisions
• Lowers chance of infection
• Less postoperative pain
• Reduced hospital stay
• Minimal scars
• Faster recovery time

Hernia – Other Types

• Inguinal hernia
• Hiatal hernia
• Ventral Hernia
• Femoral Hernia
• Umbilical hernia
• Incisional hernia

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