Bob Clark enjoys outdoor activities. Hiking? Check. Cycling? Yep. Kayaking on the Chain O’ Lakes? That, too.
Clark can enjoy these activities a lot more now that he’s not hindered by the crippling pain of a hernia. He thanks Dr. Annie Zeug, a general surgeon with ThedaCare and Surgical Associates of Neenah, for that.
A hernia occurs when part of an internal organ or tissue pushes through a weak area of muscle or tissue. The condition is most often caused by any of the following:
- Increased pressure within the abdomen
- A preexisting weak spot in the abdominal wall
- Straining during bowel movements or urination
- Strenuous activity
- Chronic coughing or sneezing
Clark, a 64-year-old Waupaca resident, is no stranger to hernias. The retired airframe and power plant mechanic underwent two hernia repair surgeries in the 1990s. So, when he felt the familiar discomfort last year, he suspected the culprit.
“I was helping my brother-in-law out in Washington State move some heavy equipment and that might have done it,” Clark said. “The pain is, well, let’s just say it’s not real pleasant.”
Fast-forward to a visit to the emergency department for an unrelated issue. Clark used the opportunity to ask the attending physician about his suspected hernia pain.
“I was in the ER for my diabetic foot and I asked the doctor a couple of questions,” Clark said. “He poked around the area and he said, ‘Yeah, I think you’re right.’”
Clark had to wait until his foot issue was resolved before he could schedule hernia surgery.
“We had a rafting trip in Colorado and I didn’t really want to fight through a hernia while we went on that trip,” he said. “I ended up having to because I also had a diabetic foot ulcer that was infected. They can’t do surgery when you have an active infection.”
He endured the hernia pain while on his Colorado trip. When he returned, and his foot issue was resolved, he knew it was time to schedule the surgery. Enter Dr. Zeug and the surgical team at ThedaCare Medical Center-Waupaca.
“Bob had an inguinal hernia that had been increasingly bothersome to him over the last year, both causing a noticeable bulge and pain,” Dr. Zeug said. “This was especially problematic with physical activities because he is an active person.”
The goal, Dr. Zeug said, was to treat the hernia and help Clark resume his active lifestyle.
Clark enjoyed Dr. Zeug’s bedside manner and her willingness to fully educate him about his hernia surgery. He offered high praise for the entire surgical team including his follow-up care.
“She’s very nice. She answered all my questions and she told me the surgery was going to be robotic,” he said. “The recovery time was supposed to be a lot kinder. I had my other hernia surgeries done the traditional way and the recovery, at least for me, was horrendous.”
Utilizing Robotic Surgery in Waupaca
Dr. Zeug used ThedaCare’s da Vinci surgical system to perform Clark’s hernia repair procedure. The health system offers robotic surgery at its hospitals in Appleton, Berlin, Neenah, Shawano, and Waupaca. The technology highlights ThedaCare’s commitment to providing high-level, comprehensive care to all of the communities it serves, including rural areas such as Waupaca.
“It’s important to provide robotic surgery access to our rural communities,” Dr. Zeug said. “When we provide this access to places like Waupaca, we help reduce people’s need to commute long distances for pre- and post-operative care. Making this type of service available to them much closer to home can help patients remain in closer proximity to family and friends which in many cases may help lead to improved recovery.”
Robotic-assisted surgery helps translate the surgeon’s hand movements into smaller, more precise movements of tiny instruments inside the patient’s body while the surgeon remains 100% in control of the system.
“Patients like Bob benefit from the support of our multidisciplinary surgical team that works with them from pre-operative consultations to surgery and recovery,” Dr. Zeug said. “We are committed to creating better patient experiences and outcomes that may help set our patients up for success.”
Patients also may benefit because smaller incisions often mean less pain, potentially shorter recovery times, and fewer days in the hospital, she said.
Clark experienced this firsthand.
“I was prepared to be basically bedridden and in excruciating pain whenever I had to get up to go to the men’s room or do anything,” he said. “And it really wasn’t like that at all.”
In fact, he was discharged from the hospital the same day his surgery was performed, he said.
Clark encouraged others experiencing hernia to seek medical assistance sooner than later.
“A hernia doesn’t get better on its own,” he said. “Getting it fixed, especially now with the robotic procedure, I say there’s no reason not to take care of it.”
Dr. Zeug encouraged anyone with hernia questions or concerns to learn more about ThedaCare’s surgical care options.
Bob Clark is once again enjoying hiking, cycling, kayaking and more now that his hernia has been surgically treated by Dr. Annie Zeug and the surgical team at ThedaCare.
