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About Dr. Grischkan
Get more information about Dr. Grischkan's background with hernia surgery.

Location
We're located in Beachwood near I-271 southeast of Cleveland, Ohio. View our map.

 


Hernia Overview - Cleveland, OH Hernia Treatment

Hernia operations are among the most common procedures performed today. In fact, about 750,000 hernia repairs are performed annually in this country. Unfortunately, results of the surgery vary so widely, both in terms of success rates and incidence of complications.

Most hernias result from a tear in the lining, or fascia, beneath the muscle layers, allowing the intestines to protrude. For inguinal hernias, this process begins at birth and is an inherited condition. While far more common in men, about 10% of cases are women.

It has been estimated that up to 20% of all abdominal surgery leads to the development of hernias through the surgical incision, refereed to as incisional hernias. These can become massive in size if not repaired.

Hernias affect people of all age groups from infants to seniors. Treatment is always surgical, as the hernias will continue to enlarge and risk strangulation, a potentially deadly complication.

Four different types of hernias account for almost all hernias seen by surgeons:
Type Location Frequency Defect
Inguinal
(learn more)		 Groin 93% Fascia
Incisional
(learn more)		 Entire Abdomen 5% Fascia
Ventral/umbilical
(learn more)		 Upper Abdomen 1% Fascia
Hiatal
(learn more)		 Internal (diaphragm) 1% Diaphragm

Traditional methods of hernia repair typically require a general anesthetic, a four to six week painful recovery and are associated with failure rates as high as 20%-30%, depending on the type of hernia. The Modified Shouldice Technique, developed at our clinic, is an outpatient procedure associated with only mild discomfort after surgery and permits full resumption of activities within two to three days. In most cases, a local anesthetic with intravenous sedation is used avoiding the need for general anesthesia.

Laparoscopic hernia surgery(keyhole/minimally invasive) is a more recent development in hernia surgery. Major drawbacks include the need for full general anesthesia, insertion of catheters into the stomach and bladder and a lengthy procedure. Studies comparing results of laparoscopic inguinal hernia repairs to those done by experts in the Shouldice technique, indicated that the laparoscopic technique had at least six times the failure rates of Shouldice repairs. Additionally, reports of life threatening complications with the laparoscopic approach, has tempered much of the enthusiasm for this procedure.

Dr. David Grischkan, the medical Director of the Hernia Center of Ohio, has performed well over 15,000 hernia repairs on patients from all over the world. Using the Modified Shouldice Technique, he has set the standard in the field of hernia surgery.

Call 1-800-MD4-HERNias to learn more or contact us to request a free brochure about hernia surgery.


Hernias:
Looking for hernia surgeons, hernia doctors or information about hernias? The Hernia Center of Ohio, located in suburban Cleveland, Ohio, specializes in the repair of all types of hernias, including incisional hernias, hiatal hernia treatments and inguinal hernia repairs.

Patients travel from around the world. In Northeast Ohio, we can serve patients from such communities as Beachwood, Lakewood, Mentor, Pepper Pike, Parma, Chagrin Falls, Mayfield Heights, Brecksville, Cleveland, Akron, Canton and more.