You can live with a hernia for years before it becomes painful, but all that time it progressively worsens and may ultimately cause serious complications, such as blocking blood flow. When you need treatment for your hernia, surgery is the only option, so it’s good to know you can count on Earl McAllister, MD, FACS, to perform minimally invasive hernia repair using the advanced da Vinci® Surgical System. To learn more about how robot-assisted surgery improves your outcomes, or to schedule an appointment, call Florida Medical Clinic in Tampa, Florida, or use the online booking feature.
A hernia occurs when an internal organ or tissue protrudes through the surrounding muscle. The problem develops when muscles weaken or tear, then pressure pushes tissues through that area. The pressure typically comes from activities like heavy lifting, frequent coughing, and straining during bowel movements.
For most types of hernias, you’ll notice a lump in the area where the hernia pushes through the muscles. For example, inguinal hernias occur in your inner groin and umbilical hernias push through muscles near your navel. Hernias also cause pain that worsens from movement or pressure.
Hiatal hernias are different because they develop inside your body when the stomach pushes up through the diaphragm muscle. This type of hernia causes symptoms such as heartburn, indigestion, and pain in your upper chest.
Hernias don’t heal on their own; they keep getting larger and more painful. In severe cases, the hernia becomes strangulated between the muscles, cutting off the blood supply and creating a medical emergency.
When you have a hernia, your only treatment option is surgical repair. Dr. McAllister works directly with each patient, overseeing your physical exam and test results, and making surgery recommendations based on your preferences, overall health, and the severity of your hernia.
During a hernia repair, the protruding tissue is placed back into place. Dr. McAllister may implant a hernia mesh over the area to provide extra support. With or without the mesh, your muscles are tightened and repaired.
Dr. McAllister has extensive experience performing laparoscopic hernia repair using the da Vinci® Surgical System. Its robotic arms hold the laparoscope and other surgical tools, while highly sensitive controls on Dr. McAllister’s hands and fingers translate his motions into precise movements made by the robotic arms.
The da Vinci Surgical System is equipped with advanced technology that allows Dr. McAllister to perform more complex surgical maneuvers with greater precision. It also provides an enhanced view of the surgical area with the 3D, zoom camera contained in the laparoscope held by one of the robotic arms.
Since robotic surgery is a minimally invasive procedure using a few small incisions, your body undergoes less trauma. As a result, you experience less postoperative pain, you recover more quickly, and you have little-to-no scarring.
When you develop signs of a hernia and need surgery, call Florida Medical Clinic or book an appointment online.
