By Yankuba Jallow
Doctor Abubacar Jah of Sharab Clinic said the commonest operation conducted by medical doctors in health facilities in The Gambia is on Hernia, adding those suffering from Hernia should doctors on time as the disease could be deadly.
Dr Jah mentioned in an exclusive interview with Foroyaa on Monday, 28th September 2020 at his office in Old Jeshwang.
The medical doctor said Hernia refers to a weakness in the abdominal wall. Dr Jah said it refers to a protrusion of something that is supposed to be inside in the abdomen adding the abdomen is a cavity where all the intestines are.
“If there is a weakness in that wall then what will happen is that, the intestines which are supposed to be inside, can sometimes bulge out through the wall; through that weakness,” he said.
Dr Jah said the intestines are supposed to be inside but due to the weakness of the abdomen, they bulge out. He said the most commonplace for Hernia is the groin which is a part near the testis.
“Hernia is a protrusion of the content of the abdomen through the wall of the abdomen,” he said.
He explained that the simple Hernia is when people walk around, coughs, standing and doing heavy work it comes out and when the person lies down it goes back inside the abdomen. He said when Hernia becomes complicated it can come out and refuse to return – thereby becoming a permanent bulge. He added that when the blood supply of the thing coming out is affected, it complicates it further.
“Is called strangulated and it can very painful. If you don’t do something very quickly, it can lead to the death of that part,” Dr Jah said.
He said usually it is the intestine that comes out and the part that comes out can be strangulated and if you don’t have any more blood supply you can die.
“It is weakness that causes the bulge. People see it near their private part. A lot of times it happens to men, but it can happen to women and it can be in different parts of the tommy but usually it is near the groin,” he said.
Dr Jah said Hernia is very common adding it is the commonest operation that is being done in all hospitals because there are so many of them that are happening.
On what causes the weakness, Dr Jah said some people are born with it and sometimes it is caused by the type of work people do. He detailed that people who do very hard work are more likely to have Hernia than those who do less work. He said sport men and women and people who carry heavy things are more vulnerable to Hernia. He said a previous injury caused by an operation can cause Hernia. He added that pregnancy can cause the weakness in the tommy and can cause Hernia.
“If you leave it too long, it can cause strangulation and if it causes strangulation and the intestine dies, then you have a problem in your hand. The part has to be cut and put together- it is a huge operation,” he said.
He said Hernia causes intestinal obstruction because the tube [intestine] that comes out is supposed to transmit things inside but when it is outside, it blocks those things from transmitting.
“This can also be deadly,” he said.
He said Hernia also causes strangulation of that segment of the body. He added that it also causes some pain to people.
He said Hernia is treated by putting the thing that comes outback and closing the hole so that nothing comes out again.
“This is not a major operation. Most of the operations, you can do it today and the patient goes home the same day,” he said.
He said if a person fails to do the treatment on time it can cause the strangulation of that part of the body and may lead to other complications including death. Dr Jah advised people affected by Hernia to go for treatment on time.
