Hernia Services

Did you know that one out of every 200 adults in the United States will see their doctor for a hernia? Unfortunately, that’s only a fraction of the estimated five million people in the U.S. with hernias that will seek medical attention. While hernias are not limited to males, roughly 90 percent of all abdominal hernias occur in men. The good news is that virtually all hernias can be repaired.

Our surgeons have developed a special interest in hernias and perform hundreds of hernia repairs annually. In fact, we’re performing more hernia repairs in our area than any other surgical facility. In drawing upon our experience, we actively host and train other surgeons at our facility. It is this experience that allows us to employ state-of-the-art repair techniques and materials that ultimately decrease patient recovery time. Using the Prolene Hernia System by Ethicon in our repairs assures us that our recurrence rate of 0.1 percent is significantly below the national average.

Hernia Surgery - What to Expect

We specialize in:

• Incisional and Ventral Hernias
• Inguinal/femoral Hernias
• Hernia Repair Types
• Mesh Options
• Temporary Pain Management

Most of our patients are back to work at their desk jobs in just a few days. We encourage you to contact our office today at 425.899.5500 to resolve your hernia issues.

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Fact References

About 10 percent of people develop some type of hernia during their lifetime. Hernias are seven times more common in males than in females.

Frequency (United States)

• Over 1 million abdominal wall hernia repairs are performed each year, with inguinal hernia repairs constituting nearly 770,000 of these cases.
• Approximately 25 percent of males and 2 percent of females have inguinal hernias in their lifetimes; this is the most common hernia in males and females.
• Approximately 75 percent of all hernias occur in the groin; two thirds of these hernias are indirect and one third direct.
• Indirect inguinal hernias are the most common hernias in both men and women; a right-sided predominance exists.
• Incisional and ventral hernias account for 10 percent of all hernias.
• Only 3 percent of hernias are femoral hernias.

Age

• Indirect hernias may not appear until middle or old age.
• Direct hernias occur in older patients as a result of relaxation of abdominal wall musculature and thinning of the fascia.

_{Source: Webmd.com
Author: Bret A Nicks, MD, Assistant Professor, Assistant Medical Director, Department of Emergency Medicine, Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Coauthor(s): Kim Askew, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine Contributor Information and Disclosures}