Surgery for inguinal hernia of the baby
Surgery is always the only curative measure in case of a hernia. Conversely, this also means that no medication or bandages can repair a hernia. The principle of every surgery is to close the passage of the intestines.
Which method is chosen depends on the type and extent of the inguinal hernia. Since in babies a gap in the peritoneum is often the cause of the inguinal hernia, this gap is closed surgically with a thread. This type of closure is completely sufficient.
Although the use of a mesh is sometimes necessary in adults, it is contraindicated in children. In children, the principle is to avoid, if possible, the introduction of foreign bodies which could possibly impair growth later. Today, the minimally invasive technique is the standard.
In technical terminology, this is also known as laparoscopic surgery. For this purpose, instruments are inserted into the abdominal cavity through several small skin incisions. A camera, which is also inserted, enables an exact reflection of the abdominal cavity and allows the instruments to be observed well.
The advantage of this method is that the small incisions heal quickly and leave only very narrow scars. In addition, the entire abdominal cavity can be viewed if necessary and further complications can be detected or treated directly. If minimally invasive surgery is contraindicated, an open approach can of course also be chosen.
Although it means a larger skin incision, the general procedure of the surgery is the same. It is up to the surgeon to decide which technique is the most appropriate for the small patient. The risks of inguinal hernia surgery arise from the physical characteristics of a baby.
The small lung volume and the risk of heat loss are particular challenges for the anaesthetist who performs the operation. The risks of the surgical procedure are similar to those in adults. Thus, in rare cases, injury to other structures or secondary bleeding may occur. In boys, a special risk is also the possible severing of the spermatic cord, which is, however, optimally avoided by intraoperative imaging of the spermatic cord.
