Hernia

December 17, 2000

L&L4U, just some general comments on

hernias. first, i'm not a general surgeon and this area of

medicine is not one in which i have any expertise. as you

have probably learned from the various on line web

sites for medical info, there are hernias, and then

there are hernias. some can be present for years and

resolve spontaneously--these are usually congenital

hernias of the belly button that go away with growth of

the child. other kinds of hernias, often in the

groin, develop spontaneously and get progressively more

troublesome over time. in some cases, the intestine can get

trapped within the hernia, cutting off the blood supply.

this then becomes an emergency requiring quick

surgical intervention to avoid serious damage to the

bowel. no one can really give you good advice here on the

internet on the right thing to do--we can't really know:

1. if you truely have a hernia, 2. if you do, how

large it is and how likely you are to have progressive

problems from it. i would say that continued

abdominal pressure, such as you would experience with your

yoga practice, is likely to place further pressure on

the abdominal wall, inceasing the chance of the

hernia enlarging or of the bowel being forced into the

hernia sac. i fould be cautious about practicing

with a diagnosed hernia. the surgeries are usually

minor, often home the same day. you would be out of

practice for a reasonable period of time, to allow the

surgical repair to adequately heal. but you won't be out

of practice or work anywhere near as long as you

would if the bowel gets trapped and you have to have a

major surgery with removal of some of your intestine

secondary to strangulation of the bowel. i would

recommend a second medical or surgical opinion there where

you are before considering anything like continuing

practice.

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