Hernia Today, Gone Tomorrow: Gregory Scofield Finds Quick and Convenient Hernia Treatment

Gregory Scofield suspected he might have a hernia, but it wasn’t painful, and it didn’t bother him much. He delayed talking to a doctor about it because he didn’t want to deal with the inconvenience of surgery and the downtime it could create, and like many people, he was nervous about having to go through with the surgery. When he finally decided to seek treatment after a year and a half, he found the process to be much easier and faster than he ever expected.

“I thought I might have a hernia, but it wasn’t keeping me from doing things I would normally do,” Scofield explains. The retired grandfather of two stays active with walking, exercise and playing golf several times a week. Even with the hernia, he continued all these activities. “There was only one painful event during an ER visit, but other than that, the hernia wasn’t painful.”

Just five weeks prior to his hernia surgery, Scofield visited the emergency room for a separate issue. During that visit he took an awkward turn as he was climbing off the examination table. This caused him significant pain from his hernia, but thankfully he was in the right place. The ER doctor was able to push the hernia back in and put ice on it to reduce the swelling. The possibility of Scofield’s hernia causing more issues such as this was the reason he decided to ultimately move forward with surgery.

Many of us are familiar with hernias, but you may not know what causes them. A hernia happens when muscle or tissue becomes weak in an area and an organ begins to push through it. Muscles and tissue can weaken on their own over time or with strenuous activity such as lifting.

There are many different types of hernias including common ones such as inguinal, femoral, hiatal and incisional. There are also many causes of hernias. Some are present at birth, while others are caused by a strain on the body such as heavy lifting, prolonged standing, pregnancy and obesity.

In Scofield’s case he developed an umbilical hernia, which happen when part of the intestine bulges through the abdominal wall. Umbilical hernias occur near the belly button where the umbilical cord was once connected. They can be present at birth or develop later.

Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) offers free hernia screening events at general surgery locations to help patients who suspect they may have a hernia. At the events, patients receive an examination and can learn more about the treatment options available to them.

Scofield attended a free hernia screening event at LVHN in May after seeing a Facebook ad. Guillermo Garcia, MD, Associate Chief, Division of General Surgery, Lehigh Valley Institute for Surgical Excellence, diagnosed him with a hernia at that event and his surgery was later that year in December.

After meeting with Dr. Garcia, Scofield decided it was finally time to seek treatment.

“The hernia didn’t change a lot over time, and it didn’t really change the way I was doing anything, but I was conscious of it at all times,” he says.

Being conscious of it meant even if it wasn’t painful, he was constantly making small adjustments in everything he did to protect the area and not aggravate it. That and his intestines were at risk for being damaged even further.

Dr. Garcia offers services at LVPG General and Bariatric Surgery–Muhlenberg and LVPG General Surgery–Palmer Township. Additional surgeons are available at many locations throughout LVHN.

“Often patients choose to just live with a hernia,” Dr. Garcia says, “but it is important to know that if left unchecked they can lead to more serious issues. At LVHN, hernia repairs are incredibly streamlined from the initial examination through to surgery.” 

“Scheduling was very simple, and it all went exactly as Dr. Garcia explained to me in my pre-surgery visit,” Scofield says.

Patients like Scofield directly benefit from the advances in surgery over the past few decades. Robotic surgery continues to advance and provides physicians with more accurate and precise tools. Patients experience less-intrusive procedures, faster recoveries and fewer chances of complications.

“Right after surgery, I was only sore for about three days,” Scofield says, “and just 10 days after surgery I was already cleared to resume my normal activities outside of lifting heavy items for a few months.”

“At LVHN we treat more types of hernias than anyone else in the region,” Dr. Garcia says. “We offer all types of hernia surgery including open, laparoscopic and robotic surgery, choosing the least-invasive method for each patient’s individual circumstances.”

Even when a hernia isn’t painful or interfering with your everyday life, it’s important to have it examined and monitored by a physician. Scofield says he wishes he’d been more deliberate in having his hernia diagnosed sooner.

“After I saw Dr. Garcia and he explained how I could cause damage to my intestine without surgery, I became more aware of wanting to have it fixed,” Scofield says.

“Hernias don’t heal on their own,” Dr. Garcia says. “They can grow larger over time and sometimes the organs become constricted. It cuts off blood flow. Your physician may not recommend surgery right away, but it is important to monitor a hernia before it gets more serious.”