Monroe doctor sees results with new ventral hernia technique, tools

With the newest technology and an innovative technique, Monroe's Dr. Michael Eickerman is helping restore the lives of his ventral hernia patients with an updated approach that offers long-lasting results.

A general surgeon in Monroe since 1996, Eickerman's practice is located near EvergreenHealth Monroe in the Sky River Medical Center. In recent years, he has become recognized throughout the Puget Sound region for being one of the first surgeons in the area to combine a procedure called the component separation technique with the use of a new biosynthetic material called Phasix in the treatment of ventral hernias.

A ventral hernia is a specific type of hernia that is usually related to previous abdominal surgeries. Ventral hernias can be extremely painful and complex to repair, Eickerman said, and can lead to serious health complications if left untreated.-á

"A ventral hernia is a hole in the abdominal wall that typically follows prior surgery,GÇ¥ Eickerman said. "It's when we do an abdominal incision and it doesn't heal well and they get a hernia.GÇ¥

Ventral hernias will often cause a visible bulge in a patient's abdomen.

Eickerman was introduced to the component separation technique, an emerging procedure that has revolutionized the way large abdominal defects are repaired, during an American Hernia Society conference in 2009. Using the component separation technique, Eickerman is able to reconstruct the abdominal wall in a way that actually restores its structural integrity.

He began using the Phasix material in 2014, which has further enhanced his ability to heal.

The conventional method of hernia repair involves the use of a synthetic polypropylene mesh to patch the hole. The problem is that the synthetic material sometimes doesn't integrate well with the body, Eickerman said, and there is a 20 percent or higher rate of recurrent hernias. As the hernia reoccurs, the hole gets bigger, and so the next repair requires an even larger piece of mesh.

"You have to put a bigger piece of mesh in each time,GÇ¥ Eickerman said. "You get new hernias, and you have to take out the old mesh, and each time you do it the hole gets bigger and bigger.GÇ¥

And each time a patient undergoes surgery they run the risk of infection.

The component separation technique was the first step in drastically changing the outcome for his ventral hernia patients. Rather than simply sealing the hole with a piece of mesh, Eickerman is able to repair the defect by advancing the fascia between the external and internal oblique muscles. The second step was the discovery of Phasix, a biosynthetic material that has the strength of a synthetic mesh but also the ability to integrate into the body.

Eickerman uses the component separation technique to repair the defect, and the repair is then reinforced with the Phasix material.

"It works real well,GÇ¥ Eickerman said. "It's not for every hernia; it's for those big defects that have been repaired multiple times and failed.GÇ¥

Eickerman said he is seeing virtually none of the complications that can occur through traditional repairs, and so far, there is a much lower rate of reoccurrence with the Phasix material.

For patient Jerry Krsak, Eickerman's skill as a surgeon changed his life.

When Krsak came to Eickerman last November, his entire midsection was misshapen by large bulbous protrusions. He had several hernias causing him great discomfort, the largest of which was roughly eight inches across. He didn't like to go out in public, he said, because the hernias were impossible to hide ' even with loose clothing.

"I looked like the creature from the black lagoon,GÇ¥ Krsak said. "I was having a lot of pain and I went in to see Dr. Eickerman on a Tuesday, I believe, and he marched me straight over to the hospital.GÇ¥

Krsak, 64, worked in Monroe for many years as a truck driver at Cadman's Sky River facility. His hernia trouble began after severe case of diverticulitis nine years ago, which is a disorder involving the digestive system. He had to have abdominal surgery to correct the issue, but the surgery resulted in acute infection, which led to deterioration of the abdominal wall. He developed several hernias over the years, which finally became too painful to ignore.-á

He and his wife, Denise, no longer live in the area; they moved to Centralia in 2013 to be closer to their grandchildren. But when it came time for medical care, they came to Monroe to see Eickerman. Denise had concerns about the procedure, and asked Eickerman if he had ever repaired a hernia as large as her husband's. He reassured her that with the new Phasix material and the component separation technique, she would be very pleased with the results.

"And she definitely was,GÇ¥ Krsak said. "She got a new man.GÇ¥

The surgery took place last November, and took 6 1/2 hours, Krsak said. The results, he said, have been phenomenal. When he shows friends and family members his before-and-after photos, they are unable to believe it's the same person.-á -á

"He actually gave me my life back,GÇ¥ Krsak said. "I'm just so thankful for that man; he is so blessed with that ability to do what he does ' he's just a blessed person.GÇ¥

Eickerman said the marriage of the Phasix material with the component separation technique has proven to be an extremely successful solution to ventral hernias.-á

"It's been refined to where I think we've got a pretty good product available for these complex abdominal wall repairs,GÇ¥ Eickerman said. "I think it's a real good repair. Like everything else, it's changing, but right now I think it's pretty good where we are.GÇ¥