Morgagni hernia is a type of hernia that occurs in the retroxiphoid area due to birth defects. The birth defects of people with Morgagni hernias involve unusual positioning of the diaphragm. In patients diagnosed with a Morgagni inguinal hernia, the diaphragm is triangular in shape and this triangular region has been referred to as the “Morgagni foramen”. Morgagni hernia usually occurs on the right side of the lower abdomen, although the congenital diaphragmatic defect is sometimes bilateral.
The process of diagnosing Morgagni hernias can be very problematic for doctors, as most patients with this type of hernia do not always have specific symptoms. In some cases, the hernia can cause gastrointestinal or respiratory symptoms, so doctors are unable to quickly make a correct diagnosis. Sometimes morning hernia may involve constipation. In this case the fault is easier to identify. The most common symptoms of hernia in children and adults are: abdominal pain that worsens with exercise, swollen abdomen, difficulty breathing, nausea and vomiting.
If doctors suspect that patients have a Morgagni hernia, they can use X-rays, computed tomography, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), or laparoscopy to reveal additional signs of the disease. In recent years, laparoscopy has proven to be a very reliable medical procedure that is suitable for both diagnosis and treatment of Morgagni hernias. Laparoscopic surgery is performed using a laparoscope, a thin, tubular medical instrument with a small camera attached to its lower end. The laparoscope is inserted into the body through the oral cavity and along the esophagus until it reaches the inside of the abdominal cavity. Physicians can monitor the progress of the procedure on a television screen and receive real-time images captured by the laparoscopic video camera.
Laparoscopic surgery has revolutionized the medical treatment of many types of internal disorders, and today this modern medical procedure is preferred by surgeons over traditional surgery. Traditional surgery, also called open surgery, requires large abdominal or breast cuts. Open surgery has a high morbidity rate because patients can develop a variety of postoperative complications (internal bleeding, infections, etc.). People with traditional open hernia surgery recover slowly and have to stay in the hospital for a few weeks after the surgery. This leaves patients undergoing traditional surgery with large, clearly visible abdominal scars.
Laparoscopic surgery is much safer than the traditional approach because the procedure can be done much faster and requires smaller incisions. Laparoscopic surgery minimizes the risk of complications and therefore has a very low morbidity rate. Patients with laparoscopic surgery recover much faster and need a shorter hospital stay. Thanks to the small incisions required in laparoscopic surgery, patients with minimal abdominal scars are left behind. Laparoscopic surgery is a reliable medical procedure for treating Morgagni hernias. Because of its various advantages, this modern form of surgery is preferred by both surgeons and patients.