As in any form of hernia, the combination of the weakening of the abdominal wall with the sudden or chronic increase in intra-abdominal pressure leads to the appearance of the characteristic bulge of the hernia. This bulge in the inguinal region is nothing more than the organ that falls through of the abdominal wall, through the inguinal canal, explains o Mr. Charalambos Spyropoulos General Surgeon, Master Surgeon in the Surgical Treatment of Abdominal Wall HerniasDirector of the Third Surgical Clinic and Center of Excellence in Hernia Surgery of Metropolitan General.

What factors increase the chances of an inguinal hernia?

The predisposing factors associated with increase in intra-abdominal pressure they are mainly the following:

• Heavy manual work
• Heavy lifting
• Pregnancy
• Obesity
• Chronic constipation
• Chronic, severe cough
• Smoking
• Prostate hyperplasia

“The most characteristic symptom of an inguinal hernia is one bulge that appears in the groin area. A characteristic feature, at least in the initial phase of the condition, is reversibility, that is, the lump disappears in the supine position and reappears in the standing position,” he says.

Its modern treatment with the application of robotic surgery

The robotic surgical approach to inguinal hernia repair is the most advanced modern treatment method of this common problem.
The most important advantages of the method include the greater precision of movements and harmony in the anatomical repair of the hernia, followed by a very fast postoperative recovery, without pain and a clearly improved aesthetic result.

“The robotic approach allows for success dealing with even the most complex and complicated incidents (large inguinal hernias, recurrences, multiple hernias) which could not be treated as effectively with conventional laparoscopic techniques.

The robotic system includes three articulated arms on which the surgical instruments are placed and a fourth arm on which a high-definition 3D camera is placed.

Through the camera, the surgeon has a clear and detailed image of the surgical field and can perform the operation with absolute precision of movements”, explains the expert.

What are the advantages of robotic surgery?

“For the patient: It is a minimally invasive method that allows avoiding large incisions and tissue damage to the surrounding healthy tissues. Due to minimal surgical manipulations in a small surgical field, blood loss is almost zero. The patient he leaves the hospital in a few hourswithout the need to take antibiotics and analgesics, experiences speedy recoveryhe’s got immediate return to all his daily activitieswith minimal risk of recurrence of the condition.

For the surgeon: Robotic surgery offers numerous surgical options during hernia repair. Due to the unique 3D visualization and the unique freedom of surgical movements it offers, it allows detailed remodeling of the inguinal area and more precise application of the surgical mesh. They contribute to this innovative imaging techniques of the surgical field but also the faithful reproduction of movements from the robotic system”, concludes Mr Spyropoulos.