A hernia means a "hole". Just like you can have a hernia in your abdominal wall leading to a bulge, you can also have a hernia (hole) in the tissue inside. Some people have used the word "tear" to describe an opening which can form in the fatty tissue after the surgery and the weight loss. The loops of bowel can float through this opening and get blocked or twisted.
What are the symptoms?
pain in the abdomen, can be severe, lasting hours or more. The pain can be worse while standing and somewhat relieved by lying down.
How is it diagnosed?
first, we exclude things like gallstones, constipation, or ulcers (please remember that you should never take aspirin-like compounds such as Motrin, Advil, Alleve, etc)
sometimes, a CT scan is ordered, since it can see the blockage about half of the time
occasionally, a laparoscopic "look" is necessary
How is it treated?
the doctor has to look with the laparoscope and repair it with a permanent stitch. Usually takes 30 minutes.
How often does this happen?
about 2% of patients from the past. Fortunately, we have introduced several innovations (special glue, extra stitches, etc) over the past two years in order to make this percentage even lower.
