If you are considering having a hernia repaired, you might be concerned about the possibility of it coming back after surgery. You may wonder: can you prevent hernia recurrence?
The answer is: No, you cannot prevent a hernia recurrence. However, there are several steps that can be taken to help lower the risk of recurrence – by both you, the patient, and us at Hernia Clinic Hampshire.
*Higher in non-specialist centres not using mesh; The risk of recurrence in ventral and incisional hernias, and hernias in women is higher.
0.3%*
**0% to date using our open repair with local anaesthetic
The more experienced a surgeon and team are, the lower the risk of recurrence is. Hernia Clinic Hampshire’s Consultant Surgeon has repaired around 2,000 hernias, including both male and female patients, young and old, and with varying health conditions.
This programme is designed to help protect against recurrence and improve long term comfort of the repair area. Wearing Hernia Support garments post-surgery helps support your repair and our guided Hernia Rehabilitation Exercise videos help re-strengthen your core muscles.
If you are paying for a self-funded private surgery package, the exercise videos are included in the cost!
We understand some patients worry about the use of a mesh, but surgery using a special mesh has a much lower risk of recurrence than suture-only repairs.
We use a self-fixating mesh for open repairs, which distributes tension evenly across the area and generates strong tissue to heal the abdominal wall. This mesh helps to create a comfortable, high-quality repair.
Depending on the type of hernia you have, its size, and whether or not you have had a previous repair, our highly experienced Consultant Surgeon will plan a bespoke treatment plan with you and for you.
With local anaesthetic hernia repairs, one factor that can help prevent hernia recurrence is that we test that your repair is strong during surgery.
Our article on What Causes Hernias to Occur and Recur details the different risk factors that make a hernia more likely to form or to come back aft. Some of these risks can be eliminated, some can only be modified and others cannot be changed.
It is important to give each attempt the best chance of success. At Hernia Clinic Hampshire this philosophy is key to the advice we offer.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. We’re happy to help!
