Hernia Program

Our general surgeons provide expertise in the area of hernia repair, and offer various treatment options depending on the patient's needs. These options include laparoscopic surgery as well as traditional open repair techniques.

After an initial surgical consultation and evaluation, patients are scheduled for hernia repair in one of two locations: Voorhees or Camden. Both locations offer convenient access and a pleasant patient experience.

A hernia is an abnormal protrusion, or bulging out, of part of an organ through the tissues that normally contain it. In this condition, a weak spot or opening in a body wall allows part of the organ to protrude.

Although there are many types of hernias which affect both men and women, the following are the most commonly treated:

• Abdominal wall hernia: Often at the site of a previous abdominal incision, but may occur without a previous incision.
• Inguinal hernia: The most common type of hernia, more common in boys or men but can be found in girls or women, too. Consists of a bulge in the groin. May be congenital (present at birth), or acquired.
• Femoral hernia: An intestinal loop passes between the abdomen and the thigh, causing a bulge in the groin and another at the top of the inner thigh. Women experience this type of hernia more frequently than men.Umbilical hernia: a defect in the abdominal wall at the navel (but remains beneath the skin).
• Hiatal hernia: A part of the stomach protrudes upward through the small opening in the diaphragm through which the esophagus passes, thus leaving the abdominal cavity and entering the chest.

Our surgeons also provide surgical expertise for sports hernia, or strain of the tissues of the groin, in conjunction with the Sports Medicine specialists of the Cooper Bone and Joint Institute.

Hernia surgery is typically an outpatient surgical procedure with patients returning home the same day. Recovery can last several days to a few weeks depending upon the extent of the repair. Larger, or more complex repairs may require a hospital stay.