Umbilical hernia repair
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.
Description of Procedure
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.
Risks of Umbilical hernia repair
The risks of surgery for umbilical hernia are usually very low, unless the patient also has other serious medical problems.
Risks for any anesthesia are:
- Reactions to medicines
- Breathing problems, such as pneumonia
- Heart problems
Risks for any surgery are:
- Bleeding
- Infection
A specific risk of umbilical hernia surgery is injury to the bowel (large intestine). This is rare.
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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.
Copyright 2011 A.D.A.M., Inc.
