Everything You Must Know About The Perineal Hernia Surgery

Symptoms and Diagnosis

One of the most common signs of perineal hernia surgery is strained bowel movements. For instance, the patient suffers from constipation and sometimes swelling in the anal region. Thus, the pet will have appetite loss. Plus, there will be straining while urination and the small intestine will be stuck in the hernial sac, and the blood supply becomes irregular as well.

Thus, the diagnosis of the perineal hernia is made with the rectal palpation performed by the surgeon. The additional diagnostic practices include X-rays and ultrasound of the hernia as well as abdomen to ensure that the bladder does not displace. Finally, the complete blood count, urine testing, and chemistry profile are performed before the surgical procedure to choose the right anesthetic protocol for the dog. Without any delay, let's move on to the procedure of the perineal hernia.

Treatment

Before the surgery, the surgeon will analyze if the bladder is trapped or not. If the bladder is trapped, the catheter is placed in the bladder to relieve the urine buildup. Moreover, the perineal hernia is placed in the internal obturator muscle flap. This procedure will allow you to create a pelvic diaphragm with the assistance of the transposed muscle flap. Additionally, the castration is performed with a perineal hernia surgical procedure so that the prostate can shrink. Sometimes, it becomes crucial to open the dog's abdomen, which has a severe perineal hernia. Plus, the rectum can be fused onto the abdominal wall for pulling the hernial sac.

Possible Complications

Infection is not a common complication in perineal hernia surgery. However, strain bowel movement, irritation, and inflammation in the rectum can commonly occur. Thus, it is crucial to add the Metamucil in your pet's food to soften up the stool, and they can pass stool with ease. Fecal incontinence is common among the pet hernias on either side. In addition, incontinence will reduce the strength of the anal sphincter. Due to this problem, the stool can fall out in the anus when the pet gets excited or starts barking. In several cases, this is not a permanent problem. 

Likewise, the profound lameness of the limbs can be present, and it would be due to the sciatic nerve snagging during the surgery. If it occurs, emergency surgery is done to remove the offending sutures. Though, the anesthetic death does not usually happen with perineal hernia repair.

Postoperative Care

Some stool softeners need the administration to minimize stool straining. Plus, there will be a significant impact on the stool straining with the assistance of the proctofoam medication that the surgeon will prescribe. Additionally, the local anesthesia is provided with steroids, and it becomes essential for a few days. Above all, pain medication is essential to reduce the patient's discomfort. Other than that, the incision licking can be easily prevented by providing the dog with an Elizabethan collar. The sutures do not need removal because they will be dissolvable. However, the dog's activity should be restricted for three weeks, including jumping, running, and playing. On the other side, the activities should be gradually exceeded after the third week for a safer recovery.