The Benefits of Robotic Surgery for Hernia Repair

If you’ve been diagnosed with a hernia, your doctor likely shared with you that hernias don’t resolve on their own and almost always require surgery. Studies show that hernia repairs are among the most common general surgeries in America.  

Our team at Desert West Surgery offers a range of expert surgical care at all three of our Las Vegas, Nevada offices, including innovative robotic surgery with the da Vinci Surgical System. If you are facing surgery, consider the many benefits of robotic surgery. But first, let’s take a closer look at hernias and what causes them.

Understanding hernias

If one of your internal organs pushes through the muscular wall that holds them in place, you develop a protruding bulge called a hernia. Hernias are categorized by where they occur:

• Inguinal: in your groin
• Incisional: at the scene of a surgical scar
• Umbilical: in your belly button
• Hiatal: in the upper part of your stomach

Hernias affect men, women, and children, but risk factors vary according to each hernia type. For instance, people who recently had surgery are prone to incisional hernias, while Hiatal hernias typically strike obese men and women.

Causes of hernias

Other than an incisional hernia, most other hernias occur when excess pressure weakens your abdominal wall because of:

• Heavy lifting
• Straining to have a bowel movement
• Enlarged prostate
• Undescended testicles
• Persistent coughing
• Cystic fibrosis
• Physical exertion
• Aging

Smoking is also a suspected cause of the weakening of the abdominal walls which leads to hernias, as well as a culprit in a number of other detrimental health problems. Talk to our team if you need a referral to a specialist to help with smoking cessation.

Benefits of robotic surgery for hernia repair

Whenever possible, our team prefers to conduct your hernia repair with minimally invasive robotic assistance because of its many benefits, including:

High-definition imaging

The da Vinci Surgical System is equipped with a three-dimensional, ultra-high zoom to magnify the surgical area. 

Precise movements

The system’s four robotic arms hold tiny tools and instruments that your surgeon guides to make precise movements.

Smaller scars

Because the instruments are miniature and the robotic arms are narrow, your incisions are fewer and smaller than traditional or open surgery.

Quicker recovery times

With minimally invasive techniques and robotic assistance, many of our patients experience less pain and faster healing.

To learn more about hernia repair and advanced robotic surgical procedures, call the Desert West location closest to you or book your appointment online.