Loyola University Physician Performs New Minimally Invasive Procedure for Hernia Repair

Loyola University surgeon P. Marco Fisichella, MD, is performing laparoscopic hernia surgery at the Maywood, Ill.-based facility, which has helped patients recover quicker and with less pain than traditional methods, according to a Loyola news release.

Traditional hernia surgery requires the surgeon to make a large incision in the abdomen. Dr. Fisichella performs the laparoscopic technique using three small incisions, about the width of a dime, resulting in less pain and reduced loss of blood, according to the report. A small camera is inserted through the incision in order to get a three-dimensional view of the inside of the abdomen, and special surgical instruments are used to cut and grip tissue and to introduce the mesh that will eventually shore up any weakness or tears in the abdominal wall, according to the release.

Dr. Fisichella noted that the laparoscopic procedure is particularly well suited for patients with bilateral hernias, one on each side, because laparoscopic surgery allows the surgeon to repair both defects through the same incisions, according to the release. The traditional method requires the surgeon to make two incisions in order to repair the defects, resulting in a one- to two-day hospital stay.

According to the Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons, around 600,000 hernia operations are performed in the U.S. annually.

Read the Loyola release on laparoscopic hernia surgery.