Robotic hernia repair supports rapid recovery

Dave Lahr

Dave Lahr did online research to find the best robotic-assisted hernia surgery option. Residing in St. Augusta near St. Cloud, he searched close to home first, but ended up choosing the Hernia Specialists of Minnesota at Riverwood Healthcare Center in Aitkin, Minn., a 2-hour drive away.

“I wanted to find a surgeon who would do my hernia repair with robotic-assisted technology, which supports a faster recovery, plus perform a vasectomy at the same time,” Dave explained.  “I met with Dr. Andrew Loveitt, general surgeon at Hernia Specialists of Minnesota, and he was agreeable to doing both surgical procedures, which was very convenient and time saving for me. He was very thorough in preparing me for what to expect for my surgical procedures.”

Dr. Loveitt performed a robotic bilateral hernia repair using a new Ovitex mesh, which produced a great outcome for Dave.

Dave added: “After the surgery, my recovery was quick and nearly pain-free. I only had to take one narcotic pain pill. My incisions were very tiny, and the scarring was minimal.

Best of all, I was able to return to work in four days. I’m a painter at St. Cloud State University, so I did light duty work for the first week and then was able to resume my full duties the second week after surgery.

The customer service at Riverwood was great. Everyone was very nice, helpful and courteous. I appreciated how they got back to me quickly with information. I would highly recommend this hospital to others in need of surgery.”