In the past, patients who are suffering from a hernia typically faced a surgery that required their physician to repair the hernia by pulling the tissue around the damaged area together and suturing it in place. This can be highly ineffective, because it creates tension in the tissue that can cause the hernia to return. At Alamance Urological, we offer our hernia patients a better, tension-free alternative through treatment with the Ethicon PHS system.
About the System
The Ethicon PHS system offers hernia patients a hernia repair option that does not require tension. The system uses a sterile mesh to repair the hernia, rather than the patients own tissue. During surgery, the mesh is placed above or below the damaged area in the abdominal wall. A few small sutures hold the mesh in place, thus repairing the hernia. This greatly lowers the risk of recurrence, because the patients tissue is not pulled taunt to repair the hernia, and the mesh cannot be felt. It also shortens recovery times drastically.
Recovery from Hernia Repair
Patients who need hernia repair surgery can enjoy a much faster recovery with this method when compared to traditional hernia repair surgery. Depending on the severity of the hernia and its location, patients should enjoy a full recovery sometime between one and six weeks after surgery. Most patients can return to work in as little as three days, provided their work does not require any heavy lifting or other strenuous movements. Lifting needs to be avoided for six to eight weeks after surgery for most hernia patients.
