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What Are The Symptoms Of Hernia In Men?
Hi, my fiance is 59 yrs old, has a history of cardiac events/7 stents, he has COPD, Emphysema, is on oxygen at night. He also has what one dr. has said to be the biggest hernia he has ever seen, but did not do a scan of it or anything. He told him to lose 70 lbs. to be within his range he weighs 250. He also has a bad back. In the meantime, his abdomen keeps getting bigger and bigger. What are chances this thing could rupture, when he lays down and lifts his head and/or leg, there is a something that protrudes in the middle of the chest 4 inches wide by 14 inches long, it looks like a loaf of french bread. What do you think of this?
Tue, 30 Mar 2021
Hi,
Hernia is when the content of abdomen like intestines protrudes out of the abdominal cavity from gaps in between muscles which covers the entire abdominal cavity. The treatment of hernia is surgical repair of that gap, usually with a synthetic mesh. Min cause of hernia is loss of tone of abdominal muscles. Depending on the location we can have different types of hernia. Your fiancé appears to be having a hernia as the bulge comes out when there is an increase in the abdominal cavity (caused by lifting head / leg).
The treatment is surgical repair of the gap. He is required to lose weight as over weight people tend to have a recurrence of the problem even after surgery. Hernia per se doesn't cause many symptoms other than causing a bulge unless it gets complicated. Usually the intestine gets out whenever there is an increase in the intra abdominal pressure like lifting head or feet or coughing etc., and it goes back when the pressure is relieved.
If the content gets out of the gap and fails to return back into the cavity even after reducing the intrabdominal pressure, its called irreducible hernia. At times the blood supply of the herniated part which fails to go back to abdominal cavity is compromised and there are chances for the part to get gangrenous and cause life threatening complications. Usually patient develops pain in such conditions.
If your fiancé develops severe pain or the protruded part fails to go back to the abdomen then you must take him to hospital immediately. After he is able to reduce some weight, you can plan for a surgical repair of the hernia.
Take care. Hope I have answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Anoop Kumar, General & Family Physician
Hernia is when the content of abdomen like intestines protrudes out of the abdominal cavity from gaps in between muscles which covers the entire abdominal cavity. The treatment of hernia is surgical repair of that gap, usually with a synthetic mesh. Min cause of hernia is loss of tone of abdominal muscles. Depending on the location we can have different types of hernia. Your fiancé appears to be having a hernia as the bulge comes out when there is an increase in the abdominal cavity (caused by lifting head / leg).
The treatment is surgical repair of the gap. He is required to lose weight as over weight people tend to have a recurrence of the problem even after surgery. Hernia per se doesn't cause many symptoms other than causing a bulge unless it gets complicated. Usually the intestine gets out whenever there is an increase in the intra abdominal pressure like lifting head or feet or coughing etc., and it goes back when the pressure is relieved.
If the content gets out of the gap and fails to return back into the cavity even after reducing the intrabdominal pressure, its called irreducible hernia. At times the blood supply of the herniated part which fails to go back to abdominal cavity is compromised and there are chances for the part to get gangrenous and cause life threatening complications. Usually patient develops pain in such conditions.
If your fiancé develops severe pain or the protruded part fails to go back to the abdomen then you must take him to hospital immediately. After he is able to reduce some weight, you can plan for a surgical repair of the hernia.
Take care. Hope I have answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Anoop Kumar, General & Family Physician
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