Umbilical hernia repair is surgery to repair an umbilical hernia. An umbilical hernia is a sac (pouch) formed from the inner lining of your belly (abdominal cavity) that pushes through a hole in the abdominal wall at the belly button.

You will probably receive general anesthesia (asleep and pain-free) for this surgery. If your hernia is small, you may receive spinal or epidural block anesthesia and medicine to relax you. You will be awake but pain-free.

Your surgeon will make a surgical cut under your belly button.

• Your surgeon will find your hernia and separate it from the tissues around it. Then your surgeon will gently push the contents of the intestine back into the abdomen. The surgeon will only cut the intestines if they have been damaged.
• Strong stitches will be used to repair the hole or weak spot caused by the umbilical hernia.
• Your surgeon may also lay a piece of mesh over the weak area (usually not in children) to make it stronger.

Umbilical hernia can also be repaired using a laparoscope, a thin, lighted tube that lets the doctor see inside your belly. The laparoscope will be inserted through one of the cuts and instruments will be inserted through the other cuts.

Children:

Umbilical hernias are fairly common. A hernia at birth will push the belly button out. It shows more when a baby cries because the pressure from crying makes the hernia bulge out more.

In infants, the problem is not usually treated with surgery. Most of the time, the umbilical hernia shrinks and closes on its own by the time a child is 3 or 4 years old.

Umbilical hernia repair may be needed in children for these reasons:

• The hernia is painful and stuck in the bulging position.
• Blood supply is affected.
• The hernia has not closed by age 5 or 6.
• The defect is very large or unacceptable to parents because of how it makes their child look. Even in these cases, the doctor may suggest waiting until your child is 5 or 6 to see if the hernia closes on its own.

Adults:

Umbilical hernias are fairly common in adults. They are seen more in overweight people and in women, especially after pregnancy. They tend to get bigger over time.

Smaller hernias with no symptoms sometimes can be watched. Surgery may pose greater risks for patients with serious medical problems.

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Umbilical hernia repair Risks

Review Date: 01/24/2011
Reviewed By: Shabir Bhimji, MD, PhD, Specializing in General Surgery, Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Midland, TX. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)