China Hernia Day丨Don’t ignore the small matter of “hernia”! Talk about “hernia”

March 7th of every year is "China Hernia Day". This date is taken from the homonym of the Chinese word "hernia" (3.7), which aims to call on the public to pay attention to hernia, a common but easily ignored disease, popularize scientific prevention and treatment knowledge, promote early diagnosis and treatment, and contribute to the health of the whole people.

Understanding Hernia: A Hidden Health Threat

Hernia, commonly known as "intestinal hernia", is a disease in which human tissues or organs shift to abnormal positions through weak points or pores. Zhou Xiaobing, deputy chief physician of the Department of General Surgery at the Minimally Invasive Surgery Center of the Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province (Provincial Brain Hospital) , said that common types of hernia include inguinal hernia (accounting for more than 75%), umbilical hernia, incisional hernia, etc.

A protruding mass can be seen on the patient's body surface, which may disappear when lying flat, but is prone to recurrence when coughing or lifting heavy objects, accompanied by a feeling of distension and pain. If incarceration (tissue compression) occurs, it may lead to serious complications such as intestinal necrosis and septic shock.

According to the "Epidemiological Survey of Hernia Disease in China", there are about 3 million new cases of inguinal hernia in my country each year, and the incidence rate of men over 60 years old is as high as 11.6%, but the rate of active medical treatment is less than 30%. Many patients mistakenly believe that "there is no need to treat if it does not hurt" and "hernia can heal itself", which leads to delayed treatment.

Early diagnosis and early treatment: Avoid small problems from turning into big hidden dangers

Hernia cannot heal itself, and surgery is the only cure. Deputy Chief Physician Zhou Xiaobing said that with the advancement of medical technology, open tension-free hernia repair and laparoscopic minimally invasive surgery have been maturely applied. Patients can be discharged from the hospital 1-2 days after surgery, and the recurrence rate is less than 1%. Delaying treatment may cause acute diseases such as intestinal necrosis, and the risks and costs of surgery will increase significantly.

Therefore, deputy chief physician Zhou Xiaobing suggested that if a reducible mass is found in the groin, navel or postoperative incision, it should be promptly treated at a general surgery or hernia specialist. High-risk groups such as the elderly, chronic cough, constipation, and prostate hyperplasia need regular screening.

Scientific prevention: starting from the details of life

Xiao Guangfa, director of the Department of General Surgery at the Minimally Invasive Surgery Center of the Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province (Provincial Brain Hospital), suggested that to prevent hernia, it is necessary to reduce the factors that increase abdominal pressure from the source:

1. Control your weight and avoid obesity increasing abdominal pressure;

2. Quit smoking to reduce the risk of chronic cough;

3. Eat a balanced diet to prevent constipation and prostate diseases;

4. Exercise scientifically to strengthen the abdominal wall muscles, but avoid sudden weight-bearing.

For patients with mild symptoms who have been diagnosed, they need to avoid strenuous exercise, but they should not rely on conservative treatments such as hernia belts to avoid delaying surgery. Improving the awareness of hernia is to save lives. Director Xiao Guangfa called on the whole society to pay attention to the hernia risks of the middle-aged and elderly, children and postoperative patients, so that "invisible" diseases have nowhere to hide.

Hunan Medical Chat Special Author: Zhou Xiaobing, General Surgery, Minimally Invasive Surgery Center, Hunan Second People's Hospital (Provincial Brain Hospital)

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(Edited by YT)