Q:
I was recently diagnosed with a hernia. It now makes my stomach appear bloated and is most uncomfortable, even with a hernia belt.
The hospital implied that it would require a big operation to remove it, and would pose a risk to my heart because of my age (I am 90). Is this correct, and is an operation my only option?
ors E. ocBride, Sheffield.
A:
You have my sympathy, for though hernias are common, they are, as you say, uncomfortable and can be unsightly.
The condition is caused when an organ in the body pushes through a weakness or gap in the wall of muscle that encases it.
An abdominal hernia is caused by the intestines pushing through a weakness in the abdominal wall, creating a bulge. This can happen at a number of sites, but they most commonly occur in the groin (usually causing a swelling where the leg meets the lower abdomen) or the navel, around the belly button.
The latter, which it sounds as if you have, can be unsightly. The hernia might vary from the size of a marble up to the size of a grapefruit or even a melon – if you have one such as this, I understand how you can be depressed by the experience.
It is partly one of nature’s design faults that allows hernias to happen, though both obesity and the cumulative effect of years of too little exercise may also contribute, as both of these can weaken the muscles.
Even in a woman of your age, a hernia in the groin can be repaired by an operation under local anaesthetic – with relatively little danger to your overall health.
The same might be true of a hernia around the navel – though not if it is large as this would require a general anaesthetic.
Despite that, at 90 years old, a short general anaesthetic to repair a hernia could be a satisfactory procedure, provided you do not have other health issues that might stand in the way – lung or heart problems, for example.
The decision is best made by the surgeon and anaesthetist upon the advice of your GP. It is certainly not too late for the possibility to be considered. I wish you the utmost success.
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