After a hernia operation, especially for a hiatal hernia, you typically lose a modest amount of weight, often 5-15 pounds in the first few weeks, primarily from post-surgery liquid/soft diets, reduced appetite, and less activity, not fat loss, though some people lose more if significantly overweight or if the surgery impacts digestion, but excessive loss warrants contacting your surgeon as it can signal issues like poor nutrition or complications.
In addition, during surgical recovery patients are less active and require less calories. The metabolism also slows down leading to some weight loss. It's possible the surgery reduced the size of the stomach making the patient feel fuller with less food. This can also lead to gradual weight loss over time.
The "6-2 rule" for inguinal hernias in children is a guideline for surgical timing: Neonates (birth-6 weeks) need surgery within 2 days; children 6 weeks to 6 months need it within 2 weeks; and children over 6 months need it within 2 months, because younger infants have a higher risk of incarceration (strangulation). For adults or older children with reducible hernias, some sources suggest seeing a surgeon if symptoms last over six weeks.
Short answer: Yes—although diarrhea is not listed among every hernia symptom, an inguinal hernia that becomes incarcerated or strangulated can obstruct the bowel, disrupt normal bowel movement patterns, and trigger watery stool.
Not only will it decrease the chance of a hernia recurrence, but will improve your core strength, stop post-pregnancy bulging due to abdominal wall laxity, and create a flatter, more functional muscular abdomen.
A hernia occurs when an internal part of the body pushes through a weakness in the muscle or surrounding tissue wall. A hernia usually develops between your chest and hips. In many cases, it causes no or very few symptoms, although you may notice a swelling or lump in your tummy (abdomen) or groin.
Causes of Weight Loss Post-Op
Some pain management drugs can cause a loss of appetite in certain patients, which can make it difficult to keep your weight at healthy levels post-op. The lingering effects of anesthesia can also cause loss of appetite, as well as nausea and vomiting.
This includes eating a good diet to avoid constipation, caring for the wound and not straining yourself too soon. Most people make a full recovery from inguinal hernia repair within 6 weeks, although many people can return to driving, work and light activities within 2 weeks.
Rule 6: In large or inguino-scrotal hernias, it is recommended to transect and abandon the distal hernia sac within the scrotum. An indirect hernia sac is usually dissected and reduced from the inguinal canal.
The main cause of a hernia is a combination of muscle weakness and increased pressure in the abdomen, allowing tissue or organs to push through a weak spot in the surrounding muscle wall, often due to straining from activities like heavy lifting, chronic coughing, or constipation, combined with underlying weak spots that can be congenital or develop from aging, obesity, or previous surgery.
There is no true optimal BMI or weight for hernia repair. Every person and their hernias are different. The general rule is that the thinner one can become the more advantageous it is for a durable and safe repair. Generally speaking, a BMI of 18-25 would be ideal for any type of hernia surgical repair.
Incisional hernias: Whenever the body wall is cut, such as if you have had an open appendix operation or a Caesarean section during childbirth, the healed scar is never as strong as the original body wall. Hernias are common along incision lines and can be one of the most difficult hernias to repair.
Most people are able to return to work within 1 to 2 weeks after surgery. But if your job requires that you do heavy lifting or strenuous activity, you may need to take 4 to 6 weeks off from work. You may shower 24 to 48 hours after surgery, if your doctor okays it.
Herniation of the stomach presents with symptoms suggestive of gastric volvulus and gastric outlet obstruction. However, our review indicates that this is the first instance of acute profound weight loss in a middle-aged person as the key feature of presentation, although this may be due to lack of reporting.
Most inguinal, umbilical, and small ventral hernias feature omentum (belly-fat) rather than intestine; healthy fat is usually reduced, not resected. Whether surgeons use an open surgery, laparoscopic repair, or robotic approach influences scar length, recurrence risk, and recovery time.
Repair of your inguinal hernia does not require any special diet restrictions after surgery. Some patients may find that their appetite is poor for a week or two after surgery. This is a normal result of the stress of surgery — your appetite should return in time.
Large hernias are 10cm or larger. Hernia surgery can be major (open) or minor (laparoscopic) surgery. Recovery time for hernia surgery is quicker for laparoscopic surgery compared to open surgery.
Tension-Free Repair. Tension-free repair techniques utilize a piece of mesh to bridge the hernia defect, and are the most common today. They are considered the gold standard of hernia repair by the American College of Surgeons.
Avoid Drinking Alcohol and Smoking
Smoking can lead to coughing, which increases abdominal pressure and can worsen a hernia. Alcohol, especially in excess, can irritate the stomach lining, leading to acid reflux. Both smoking and alcohol should be limited or avoided for overall health and hernia management.
As per doctors, hernia patients need two days of bed rest, though it might take more time in case of open surgery. In laparoscopic surgery, patients do not need any kind of bed rest. In case of severe complications such as incarceration or bowel obstruction, the surgeon recommends prolonged bed rest.
How painful is hernia repair surgery? You won't feel any pain under general anesthesia because you'll be asleep. If you're awake and getting local anesthesia, your provider may ask if you feel any discomfort. Let them know how you're feeling so they can ensure the surgery's pain-free.
As with any surgery, most patients experience some post operative pain in the area of their hernia repair. Most patients will also experience some level of swelling and bruising in the area. The first 2-3 days are usually the worst for most patients.
Nevertheless, most people will notice a significant difference in their appearance after losing 20 pounds. One of the most noticeable changes is reduced body fat, which can lead to a slimmer appearance. Additionally, we can often identify that our clothes may feel looser and more comfortable.
One study found that after 1 year, people undergoing adjustable gastric banding, gastric sleeve, and gastric bypass lost between 38 and 87 pounds. Of the three most common procedures, gastric bypass produced greater weight loss, on average, but had more complications in the month after surgery.
Where do you lose weight from first? Mostly, losing weight is an internal process. You will first lose hard fat that surrounds your organs like liver, kidneys and then you will start to lose soft fat like waistline and thigh fat. The fat loss from around the organs makes you leaner and stronger.