James R. Pacholka, MD, PC

General & Laparoscopic Surgery

I have a 25 year experience of repairing hernia's of all types performing about 250-300 a year. I utilize both open and laparoscopic techniques with the goal of best meeting my patient's individual needs as well as achieving the best possible outcome. In a constantly evolving field, my goal is to stay at the forefront and offer my patients the best possible care. I

have experience in the treatment of the following types of hernias;

Inguinal, including femoral Incisional, simple and complex
Umbilical Spigelian
Ventral Paraesophageal
Epigastric Giant hiatal

Most of the simple hernia's are repaired using local aesthetics and a mild sedative to minimize the side effects of anesthesia. Larger more complex hernias are repaired using a combination of meshes, tissue rearrangement, and laparoscopic techniques and are done under general anesthesia. Complications are uncommon in the smaller hernia's and include recurrent hernia's, chronic pain, infection and fluid collections. With the more complex abdominal wall hernias, the complications are all the same, but the likelihood increases often proportional to their complexity. At consultation, I will educate you on your specific hernia and we will discuss together the "best" approach and its rationale.