Arrive at the hospital or surgical center at your scheduled time. You’ll be asked to change into a patient gown. You’ll then be given an IV to provide fluids and medicine. Shortly before surgery, an anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist will talk with you. He or she will explain the types of anesthesia used to prevent pain during surgery. You will have one or more of the following:
- Monitored sedation to make you relaxed and sleepy.
- Local anesthesia to numb the surgical site.
- Regional anesthesia to numb specific areas of your body.
- General anesthesia to let you sleep during surgery.
Fixing The Weakness
Surgery treats a hernia by repairing the weakness in the abdominal wall. Most hernias are treated using “tension-free” repairs. This is a surgery that uses special mesh materials to repair the weak area. The mesh covers the weak area like a patch. The mesh is made of strong, flexible plastic that stays in the body. Over time, nearby tissues grow into the mesh to strengthen the repair.