This site exists to answer the questions patients ask about hernias and gallbladder disease, written by your operating surgeon.
Start with the guide for what you have: what it is, why it happens, your treatment options, and a PDF you can keep. Robotic and open repairs are one tap away.
What it does, why stones cause trouble, and how I take it out with the robot.
Pick your hernia, then the repair. Every hernia has a robotic and an open guide.
Deciding between robotic and open? Compare the two ways I do it →
Tap a spot on the picture, or pick a place from the list, and I'll point you to the right guide.
Your guide will open here.
Pain here, often after a fatty meal, is the classic sign of gallstones. The gallbladder sits tucked under the right side of the liver, which is why gallstone pain is usually felt in this spot.
A bulge at or near the belly button in an adult is often an umbilical hernia. The navel is a natural weak point in the abdominal wall, left over from the umbilical cord.
A bulge in the groin that aches when you lift, cough, or strain is often an inguinal hernia. It can happen on either side, and it is the most common hernia in men and in women.
A bulge at or near the scar from an earlier operation may be an incisional hernia. Some are small and simple to repair. Larger ones may need the abdominal wall rebuilt.
This points you to a guide. It is not a diagnosis, and only an exam can tell for sure. A bulge that is suddenly very painful, firm, or red, or will not push back in, needs care right away: call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
Retired Navy Captain. Combat surgical deployments, trauma fellowship at Shock Trauma in Baltimore, and surgery residency at Walter Reed.
One of a small number of surgeons nationally certified in both Robotic Surgery and Hernia Surgery.
Active researcher and textbook editor, on faculty for training the next generation of surgeons.
Medical Director of Acute Care Surgery at Texas Health Fort Worth, a Level I trauma center and American College of Surgeons verified Emergency General Surgery program.
What I do most
All robotic, when I can.
"He explained everything in a way I could actually understand, and I was back to work in a week."
"I was nervous about robotic surgery. The team walked me through every step before and after."
"Caught a problem another surgeon missed. Grateful for his attention to detail."
Have you been a patient? Please visit Google to leave a review. We'd love to hear your experience.
Most weekends, you'll find Dr. Rodriguez in the kitchen making the family's pizzas, out back manning his 900°F Ooni, or, alongside his wife Sarah, cheering on their son Eli as he competes in distance swimming around the Metroplex. He believes a surgeon who's open about real life understands his patients better.
Meet Dr. RodriguezNotes on robotic surgery, gallbladder and hernia care, and how Dr. Rodriguez uses technology in practice. Updated regularly as a reference for patients and colleagues.
October 1, 2026
What I tell patients before robotic gallbladder surgery about walking, lifting, showering, sun on the incisions, driving, shoulder pain, and when to call the office.
Read more →September 28, 2026
Three situations that do not follow the usual gallbladder pattern: an inflamed gallbladder with no stones, pain that continues after the gallbladder is out, and gallbladder surgery through a single incision.
Read more →September 21, 2026
Before gallbladder surgery, the question patients ask most is what they will be able to eat afterward. The answer depends on how the body recycles bile acid. Diet, diarrhea, why it usually stops, and what I do when it does not.
Read more →800 5th Ave, Suite 400
Fort Worth, TX 76104
Office: (817) 250-7030
Fax: (817) 250-7031
Most new patients are seen within 1 to 2 weeks.
Get DirectionsMonday – Thursday: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Friday: 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
Saturday & Sunday: Closed
Closed major holidays.
This site is for patient information. For urgent symptoms, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. After-hours, our answering service reaches the surgeon on call.