Another common practical question that surgeons face from patients is, “Sir, I have only an Indian toilet at home; can I use it? I have undergone hernia surgery. Is it safe to use an Indian toilet?” The answer to this is yes.
Squatting does not increase the chance of hernia surgery failure. Indian toilets can safely be used by patients who have undergone hernia operations. Especially if the patient has undergone laparoscopic hernia repair, they are free to use both Indian and Western toilets.
What if the patient has had an Open Surgery?
If the patient has undergone an open operation for a very large hernia and is overweight, during the initial phase of recovery, using an Indian toilet might be slightly difficult because of their inability to squat and to get up from that position. Thus, for the initial time, because of the pain factor, we advise them to use a Western toilet or get a custom-made stool for passing motions.
However, once the pain decreases, usually after six weeks, all patients who have undergone a hernia operation can use an Indian or Western toilet without any fear of developing any complications. However, one thing that the patients have to remember is that they should not be straining at the stool.
One piece of advice that we give to all patients is, “You must make sure that your fluid intake and fiber intake are adequate”. Despite this, if patients have any problems with constipation, they should use a stool softener that we generally recommend for a period of six to eight weeks so that during the healing time, they do not strain too much at the stool. The type of toilet is generally not a major concern. However, having constipation and regular straining of the stool might be harmful for the successful healing of a hernia.
