Understanding the Types of Hernias

Feb 13, 2017Uncategorized

A hernia is when part of the body pushes into an area it doesn’t belong. Because there are a lot of places in the body (um, everywhere!) where this can happen, there are a lot of different types of hernias.

Hiatal Hernia

A hiatal hernia occurs when the stomach bulges up into the chest through the opening where the esophagus connects to the stomach, called the hiatus. Also called a hiatus hernia, there are actually two different kinds of hiatal hernias: sliding and paraesophageal.

In a sliding hernia, both the stomach and the section of the esophagus that is connected to the hiatus slide up through the opening in the hiatus into the chest area. This is the most common type of hiatal hernia.

In a paraesophageal hernia, the hiatus and esophagus stay in their positions, but part of the stomach squeezes through the hiatus and winds up next to the esophagus.¹ While this type of hernia is less common, it is much more dangerous as the blood supply to the stomach may be cut-off.

Inguinal Hernia

An inguinal hernia occurs when fatty or intestinal tissues push through the inguinal canal. The inguinal canal rests in the groin area at the bottom of the abdomen. An inguinal hernia may result in a protruding bulge that can be quite painful, or may not produce any symptoms at all.²

Ventral Hernia

A ventral hernia occurs when tissues push through an opening in the abdominal wall muscles. Many of these are also incisional hernias — hernias that occur at an incision site of a past surgery. These often occur because the skin is weak or thin from the surgery. A ventral hernia, however, is a hernia that appears anywhere along the abdominal wall.

Symptoms of a ventral hernia can range from no symptoms at all to discomfort or pain in the abdomen area, bulging of skin/tissue, or nausea/vomiting.³

Incisional Hernia

As mentioned above, an incisional hernia is a hernia that erupts through a previous surgical incision. The incisions are often in the abdominal wall in order to get at internal organs. Examples of these surgeries would be an appendectomy or a caesarian section.⁴

Incisional hernias are remarkably common, occurring in an estimated 12-15% of abdominal operations.⁵

Umbilical Hernia

An umbilical hernia is exactly like what it sounds — a hernia through your belly button! An umbilical hernia occurs when the opening where the umbilical cord was attached doesn’t heal completely and tissue and/or intestines bulge through.

In babies, this type of hernia isn’t usually painful and about 90 percent heal on their own, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.⁶ In adults, an umbilical hernia occurs when too much pressure is placed on the wall of the stomach — for example, being overweight, frequent pregnancies, multiple (twins, triplets) pregnancies, abdominal surgery, etc.⁷

Do You Have a Hernia?

No matter what type of hernia you may have, it can be very dangerous if the hernia strangulates (when the tissue gets trapped and loses its blood supply). Hernias only get larger and more problematic over time, so it is important to seek medical attention if you think you may have one.

JBR Clinical Research is conducting a clinical research study for an investigational medication given after Hernia Repair surgery. If you are interested in participating, click here to learn more.

http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/hiatal-hernia#1
http://www.healthline.com/health/inguinal-hernia#Overview1
http://www.healthline.com/health/ventral-hernia#Treatment6
https://www.hernia.org/types/incisional-hernia/
https://www.hernia.org/types/incisional-hernia/
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/conditions/digestive_disorders/umbilical_hernia_22,UmbilicalHernia/
http://www.healthline.com/health/umbilical-hernia#Causes2

Update on COVID-19

To: Our Sponsors, CROs, Patients, and Employees

At CenExel Clinical Research, our top priorities are the safety and health of our patients and employees. For our Centers of Excellence to provide the highest quality of clinical research, we established and maintain a COVID-19 Task Force with representatives from every Center. The Task Force is charged with continuous monitoring of the pandemic and providing guidance and communication.

Our clinical operations continue, and we have implemented the following additional safety measures:

Enhanced screening of everyone entering any of our facilities before they are admitted into our offices or clinical areas
Reinforced internal communication regarding the COVID-19 situation, CDC and SHRM recommendations, digital team meetings, and the importance of using sick leave for anyone who has signs, symptoms, or recent exposure to someone with suspected or diagnosed COVID-19
Additional cleaning and disinfecting materials provided through our clinic and office areas
Cross-training and preparations for contingency plans if key staff need to stay home

We will continue to monitor the current situation, coordinate with the proper authorities, and update our policies and procedures as needed to ensure the safety of our patients and employees.