According to the National Center for Health Statistics, each year an estimated five million Americans develop hernias, yet only about 14 percent seek treatment. Doctors theorize the reason many people choose to avoid treatment is fear of painful surgery.

Today, however, there is little need for fear. Hernia surgery typically is an outpatient procedure with patients returning home the same day. Most patients are able to resume normal activities within a few days. Larger, more complex hernias may require a hospital stay.  Many hernias are repaired using “tension free” approaches, to minimize discomfort as well as chance of recurrence.

“Hernias can range from the small and insignificant, to large, complex and very serious.  An evaluation by a surgeon is necessary to decide if a hernia is present, and if so, whether repair is needed,” said Frank C. Koniges, M.D., a general surgeon in Cooper’s Hernia Program.

Hernia repair is recommended when a hernia is painful or symptoms interfere with daily activities. Repair is urgent when a hernia interferes with blood flow (called a strangulated hernia) or becomes “stuck” and causes intestinal obstruction.  This can be a surgical emergency.

“A hernia often gets larger with time, and it is usually easier and less complicated to have a repair when it is smaller,” Dr. Koniges said.

A hernia is an abnormal protrusion, or bulging out, of part of an organ through the tissues that normally contain it. In this condition, a weak spot or opening in a body wall allows part of the organ to protrude.

While there are many types of hernias that affect both men and women, the most commonly treated are:

• Inguinal hernia: This is the most common type of hernia.  It is a bulge at the groin area sometimes present at birth, but can be found at any age.  More common in men, but can be found in women.
• Umbilical hernia: A defect in the abdominal wall at the navel, beneath the skin’s surface.
• Abdominal wall hernia: Often at the site of a previous abdominal incision, but may occur without a previous incision.
• Femoral hernia: An intestinal loop passes between the abdomen and the thigh, causing a bulge in the groin and another at the top of the inner thigh. More frequent in women than men.
• Hiatal hernia: A part of the stomach protrudes upward and through the small opening in the diaphragm through which the esophagus passes, leaving the abdominal cavity and entering the chest.

The general surgeons in Cooper’s state-of-the-art Hernia Program provide expertise in the repair of all types of hernias, offering various treatment options depending on each patient’s particular needs. These options include laparoscopic surgery as well as traditional open repair techniques.

After an initial surgical consultation and evaluation, patients are scheduled for hernia repair in one of two locations: Cooper Surgery Center in Voorhees or Cooper University Hospital in Camden.

Cooper’s hernia surgeons, Frank C. Koniges and Robert M. Simons, see patients at office locations in Camden, Voorhees and Washington Township, New Jersey.