Thanks for your question. By bellybutton hernia, your doctor may be referring to an umbilical or para-umbilical hernia which are relatively common in adults. They are more common in overweight people and in women, especially after pregnancy. Most surgeons recommend they be surgically repaired, as they tend to get bigger over time, the U.S. National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health report.
Medline says "without surgery, there is a risk that some abdominal contents, typically a bit of fat or intestine, will get stuck (incarcerated) in the hernia defect and become impossible to push back in, which is typically painful. Any patient with a hernia that cannot be reduced, or pushed back in, while lying down and relaxed should seek urgent medical attention."
Some doctors do not recommend surgery while pregnant, however. Did you and your doctor discuss possible surgery options already?
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Thanks for your question. By bellybutton hernia, your doctor may be referring to an umbilical or para-umbilical hernia which are relatively common in adults. They are more common in overweight people and in women, especially after pregnancy. Most surgeons recommend they be surgically repaired, as they tend to get bigger over time, the U.S. National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health report.
Medline says "without surgery, there is a risk that some abdominal contents, typically a bit of fat or intestine, will get stuck (incarcerated) in the hernia defect and become impossible to push back in, which is typically painful. Any patient with a hernia that cannot be reduced, or pushed back in, while lying down and relaxed should seek urgent medical attention."
Some doctors do not recommend surgery while pregnant, however. Did you and your doctor discuss possible surgery options already?
May 1, 2008 - 8:32amThis Comment
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