Buffalo, N.Y. — Millions of people develop a hernia at some point in their life and doctors find that it is just as likely for women to develop hernias as men.
A hernia is an abnormal opening in the body wall where an organ or some kind of tissue can pop out. That means internal organs and intestines can bulge through the hole.
It can be painful or just uncomfortable but if left untreated, can also be life threatening.
Doctor Bala Thatigotla, from Sisters Hospital, sees cases of hernias regularly.
He said hernias are serious and can really affect anybody and should be taken seriously.
"If someone has a hernia, each time we use the core muscles, the intestines will want to come out," Doctor Thatigotla explained. "It's like the path of least resistance. So sometimes the intestines can get stuck and it won't go back in. When that happens, you only have 6-8 hours before you seek surgical help because the intestines can get dead if they get caught up."
Doctor Thatigotla is one of several doctors who has started using a robot to perform surgery on a hernia.
So instead of the traditional open surgery, he maneuvers a robot to make a few key hole incisions and use robotic arms to close the hole.
He said not only is it a fast surgery with minimal cuts but that also means a shorter hospital stay, quicker recovery, less pain and by association, less pain medication.
Joanne Schuh developed a hernia following gastric bypass surgery and several other procedures.
She said she was not expecting to get a hernia and came to Sisters for help.
"I was surprised and I was just hoping...I hope this doesn't happen constantly," Schuh said. "I was surprised though...versus a male. Usually they're lifting a lot more weights and lifting heavier objects and stuff."
About a month after Doctor Thatigotla performed the robotic surgery on Schuh, she reported she was "back to normal" and feeling good.
If you have a hernia or think you might, Doctor Thatigotla advised you see your primary care doctor or specialist as soon as possible.