Edmonton team leads nation in complex hernia surgery

EDMONTON – Life took a painful turn for the worse when Corry Coyne of Wetaskiwin developed an incisional hernia at her surgical site six weeks after having a pre-cancerous surgical resection of her pancreas in 2023.

“Essentially, the muscles in my abdominal wall pulled apart at the site of my incision, allowing part of my abdomen to bulge outward,” says Coyne. “It wasn’t just a basketball-sized lump hanging out. Standing, walking, getting out of bed, lifting, and even coughing became painful and difficult because I no longer had the strength and support of a normal abdominal wall.”

“I managed to continue to work, but I required strong pain medication to make it through the day. My quality of life diminished very quickly and even finding a pair of pants to wear that wouldn’t cause more pain was a challenge."

Hope came when Coyne was referred to CHARGE — the Complex Hernia and Abdominal Reconstruction Group of Edmonton (CHARGE) program — Canada’s first comprehensive multidisciplinary hernia program, which has to date performed more than 800 surgeries.

“While many hernias can be easily repaired with surgery, there are a number of patients with complex cases that for years were told there was no surgical option to repair the abdomen because of the size of the hernia, tissue loss, or other health risk factors,” says Dr. Ram Anantha, general/trauma surgeon and program lead for CHARGE.

“We created a team in Edmonton focused on the introduction of specialized surgical techniques, advanced repair materials, and innovative devices to help advance the field of hernia surgery in Canada.”

An abdominal hernia develops when tissue or an abdominal organ pushes through the belly. Thousands of Canadian develop these post-surgical incisional hernias every year. These hernias can be large and unsightly, severely impair physical function and activity, cause abdominal wall discomfort and dysfunction, and, in some cases, can lead to serious complications such as bowel obstruction, sepsis, or in some cases death.

The CHARGE program’s multidisciplinary team helped Coyne prepare for surgery with a weight-loss and strength-training prehabilitation program. In June 2024, Dr. Matt Strickland, surgeon at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, and his surgical team performed an 8-hour surgery to completely reconstruct Coyne’s abdominal wall, which helped retain her organs within the abdomen.

“CHARGE is a collaborative approach to personalized hernia care that involves support from affiliated weight-loss specialists, personal trainers, interventional radiologists and perioperative medicine specialists to drive better outcomes for the most complex cases across the province,” says Dr. Strickland.

“Edmonton is at the forefront of complex hernia repair in North America, and we are starting to see programs across the country start based on the expertise and success we are having in Alberta.”

Last year, CHARGE started the first Abdominal Wall Reconstruction fellowship program in Canada. The program brings surgeons from across the country to train with the CHARGE team for one year, which will help build expertise nationwide.

Two years post-surgery, Coyne feels happy, healthy and grateful she had access to expert hernia care so close to home.

“The recovery of having my abdominal wall rebuilt was significant but, within three months, I was off the daily pain medication I needed to manage my hernia pain,” says Coyne. “I’m so grateful to Dr. Strickland and the entire CHARGE program for my surgery and giving me the ability to get my life back.”

The CHARGE surgical team performs surgeries at Royal Alexandra Hospital, University of Alberta Hospital and Sturgeon Community Hospital.

Alberta Health Services provides a range of healthcare services for more than five million adults and children living in Alberta. Our mission is to provide excellent, patient-focused healthcare that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans. Our current focus is on reducing emergency department wait times, increasing access to surgeries, and improving patient flow.