Lourdes Pelaez-Echevarr

That depends on several factors that are mostly out of the control of the surgeon. How big is the hernia? Do you have a "normal" looking belly button now? (Probably not if you have a hernia.) How well do you heal? Some people do not heal well and have keloids, so this can make the belly button look abnormal. What do you consider a "normal" belly button? If you have a small-medium hernia AND you heal well, the surgeon can put the scar right through the middle of the belly button and it will look relatively "normal" because the scar ends up looking like a belly button fold (innie) and you can still wear a bikini. Another option for large hernias is a robotic or laparoscopic repair, those scars a small and are barely noticeable, but there may be excess skin that needs to be removed and that may require more of a plastic surgery repair. Of course, NO ONE can guarantee that it will look perfect.
My last comment: you are a young female, the surgeon does NOT want to scar you for life; believe me, most good surgeons want their patients to be happy with the results. Have an open conversation with your surgeon about your concerns and if you are not satisfied with that surgeon's answer, then find a different surgeon.

You should be able to walk the SAME DAY that you have the surgery. Of course we are not talking about a marathon ;-)

You should check with your surgeon because he/she knows the details of the surgery. If you have reservations about returning to work and the surgeon has given you the go ahead, you should share that with his office staff. They will probably make an appointment for you to see the surgeon. Then your questions will be answered.

Yes, the bulge goes away after hernia surgery.

How do you get out of bed after hernia surgery? The same way you got out of bed before the surgery, but it will be a bit more difficult and painful. So take it slow. You may want to use your arms to help push up or get some help from a significant other.

Appendix pain? If it is appendicitis, the only thing that relieves appendicitis is surgery.

Yes!! Walking helps to get the bowels moving, which decreases bloating and ultimately decreases the pain, but don’t overdo it!  

In the right lower quadrant. Surgeons will check for tenderness at McBurney's Point. It is in the right lower quadrant, approximately one third of the distance on an imaginary line from the iliac bone to the belly button.

No! Actually, most people report that the worst part of the colonoscopy is the bowel prep the day BEFORE the actual procedure.

If you have SEVERE pain, then you should go to the emergency room. I doubt that the prolapse and cystocele are causing the back pain, it is possible but unlikely. I would start with your primary care physician for further studies if your pain is more chronic and does not require the emergency room.

A healthy, well-balanced diet and healthy lifestyle -- no smoking. A multivitamin with zinc will also help.

The question says when should you have appendix surgery--but I believe the question you have is really when should you have hernia surgery, right? Once you have a hernia it will only get bigger with time. Once hernias get bigger there are higher risks of complications. So just do it now that you are young and your risk is low.

So you can remove them yourself? ;-) Bad idea. You should go see your surgeon to have them removed with sterile surgical instruments. If you are just curious, the sutures are removed with sterile scissors. Then, usually steri-strips are applied to keep the incision from pulling apart.

YES!! You must take your medication as prescribed, but besides that, most people live a very normal life after a successful liver transplant.

That is a difficult question to answer because it depends on a thousand factors. The most important of those is WHERE is the lesion in question that needs to be resected. If it is near a vital structure it may not be feasible at all. Another factor is the skill and experience of the surgeon.

All inguinal hernias should be repaired surgically. There are times when we do not repair hernias due to co-morbid conditions or patient specific other factors, but these are exceptions where the risks of surgery outweighs the benefits.

Based on the latest data from the NIH, the chances of developing a hernia after laparoscopic gallbladder surgery lies between 0.02% to 3.6%. So, with laparoscopic surgery, there is a > 96% chance that you will NOT develop a hernia; the odds are in you favor! Of course, there are factors that increase this risk. If the surgery is done "open" or the "old fashioned way" with an incision, then the risk increases between 15 to 20%. Also, some people are more prone to hernias than others. Obesity is a big factor. Patients with a BMI (body mass index) > 35 have a significantly increased risk of developing hernias post-operatively. (This is true for ANY abdominal surgery, not just gallbladder surgery.) People who have conditions that cause chronic coughing are also at higher risk (e.g., smokers, COPD, and emphysema patients). If you are healthy and adhere to the recommendations of your surgeon, it is unlikely that you will develop a hernia. Post-operatively after gallbladder surgery we recommend that patients avoid lifting anything greater than 10 pounds for two weeks. Since most people don't know exactly what 10 pounds is, I tell my patients to avoid lifting "anything heavier than a gallon of milk" for 2 weeks.

Dr. P

In general, once a hernia is discovered, surgery should be done to repair it. Of course, there are a few exceptions to this. Hernias in adults continue to enlarger if not repaired, even if you do not lift anything heavier than a paper clip! Laughing, sneezing, coughing and bowel movements ALL cause increases in intra-abdominal pressure which over time make the hernia bigger. If left unattended, a hernia may cause severe complications including bowel obstruction, strangulation, septic shock, and even death. The larger the hernia the bigger/more complex the surgery. Of course the more difficult the surgery the higher the risk to the patient. In short, if you are healthy enough to have surgery, you should proceed with hernia surgery.