Umbilical Hernia
What is Umbilical Hernia?
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The umbilical hernia develops in the navel; it is the second in frequency of hernias of the abdomen. It is favored by pregnancies, being overweight, intense efforts and weak abdominal muscles. Umbilical hernia affects both genders equally and its prevalence rate is 4-5% in adults.
To make the diagnosis of umbilical or navel hernia, it is enough to observe the umbilical scar that protrudes as if it were a “bump” or “chipote” that deforms it to a greater or lesser degree.
Some patients report that the umbilical hernia started when they felt something break in the navel with exertion. They always tend to grow larger and occasionally cause pain or may become complicated.
The need for x-ray or ultrasound studies to diagnose it is very rare.
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Umbilical Hernia Treatment
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The treatment of umbilical hernia is surgical and should be done as soon as it is identified since it always grows with the passage of time and the possibility of complications increases day by day.
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The complications of umbilical hernias are:
a) Imprisonment, when any structure or organ of the abdomen protrudes or "comes out" through the hernia orifice and is definitively established without being able to return to its place through external maneuvers. This complication can cause intestinal obstruction and / or pain if it is the intestine that has "come out" through the orifice of the hernia.
b) Strangulation, when these mentioned structures are "hanged" by the hernia orifice causing them lack of circulation and the consequent death of the trapped organ; if it is the intestine, it can be perforated and produce peritonitis.
Umbilical hernia treatment is always surgical, with open techniques being the most used with or without the application of plastic meshes (prostheses), according to the criteria of the hernia specialist surgeon. Laparoscopic techniques (minimally invasive surgery or "laser surgery") can also be performed with the application of mesh in an internal position. Both techniques have very good results as they reduce postoperative pain, disability time, the use of analgesics and the possibility of a recurrence of the hernia in the future.
The risks of these surgeries are minimal as well as the possibility of complications.
Recovery from umbilical hernia surgery consists of one day of hospital stay and 5 to 7 days of relative rest. You will be able to return to work on the eighth day.
It is the responsibility of the hernia surgeon to decide what is the ideal procedure for each patient suffering from an umbilical hernia.
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