Hernia Surgery Attorney in Pennsylvania
A hernia means that there is an opening in the muscles of the abdomen and a part of the intestine is pushing through that opening. The purpose of hernia surgery is to repair a hernia.
The most common types of hernia are the incisional, inguinal and umbilical.
An incisional hernia results from a prior surgery. These usually occur after large abdominal surgery and the hernia is located at some location along the prior incision. Because they are usually located on the abdomen, they are often called ventral or abdominal hernias.
An inguinal hernia occurs in the groin area. This is usually the result of the abdominal lining not closing properly at birth or from a weakening or deterioration later in life.
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An umbilical hernia occurs at the belly button. This hernia usually is seen in infants and often closes on its own.
Hernias are usually diagnosed by physical examination, ultrasound, or CT scan and x-rays.
Hernias can be very dangerous. If the intestine gets stuck in the hernia, it is possible that the blood supply to the intestine will be cutoff. That is called an incarcerated or strangulated hernia. If that occurs, the intestine will die and, if left untreated, could lead to the person’s death.
The definitive treatment for most hernias is surgery. Hernias can be repaired using an open or laparoscopic procedure.
With an open procedure, a long incision is made and the tissue that is protruding through the hernia is pushed back into its proper place. Then, the opening in the muscle wall is sewed back together. If the opening is too large to sew it back together, a piece of material, usually mesh, is sewed into place to cover the open area.
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With a laparoscopic procedure, several small incisions are made. A scope is inserted into the body through one of these incisions. A tiny video camera at the end of the scope allows the surgeon performing the operation to view the inside of the body on a TV monitor. Surgical instruments are inserted into the body through the other small incisions and the hernia repair is performed using these surgical instruments.
When performing hernia surgery, it is possible that the surgeon may damage internal organs, including the intestine, arteries or veins, and fail to recognize that they have done so. After the surgery, while you are recuperating, the hospital and doctors may fail to recognize an injury to your intestine or blood vessels, despite abnormal lab tests, pain, high temperatures, and other symptoms. An injury like this that goes untreated often causes serious injury or death.
Contact the Knowledgeable Medical Malpractice Attorneys in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for Your Free Consultation
If you have been seriously injured from hernia surgery, please call the hernia surgery lawyers at (412) 471-4300, or contact us online. Berger Lagnese & Paul, LLC are lawyers who specialize in medical malpractice and work on cases in Pittsburgh, Greensburg, Beaver, Uniontown, Erie, Washington, and all of Western Pennsylvania. Our office is located at 310 Grant St #720, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, and we will investigate your case for free, get the top experts, and get the money you need to fix, help and make up for what happened to you.