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umbilical hernia size in adults

by Miss Adrianna Nicolas DDS Published 4 years ago Updated 3 years ago

Umbilical hernias are common and come in many sizes ranging from small (less than 1 cm) to medium (1 cm to 3 cm) to large (greater than 3cm). Umbilical hernias can be asymptomatic or cause pain. They can be reducible (able to push back in) or incarcerated (always out). Not all umbilical hernias need to be repaired.

Symptoms

Umbilical hernias are common and come in many sizes ranging from small (less than 1 cm) to medium (1 cm to 3 cm) to large (greater than 3cm). Umbilical hernias can be asymptomatic or cause pain. They can be reducible (able to push back in) or incarcerated (always out). Not all umbilical hernias need to be repaired.

Causes

Exercise options include: spinning or outdoor biking, swimming or water exercise, and walking. Walking is low impact and won’t strain the abs.The intestine bulges through a fragile abdominal wall, leading to swelling and pain. You can reduce umbilical hernia with exercise.

Complications

Hernias tend to get bigger over time, so to avoid possible future complications, many doctors recommend surgery to minimize the risk for complications. But painless inguinal or umbilical hernias are unlikely to need emergency surgery. My advice: Consult your doctor if you are concerned that you have a hernia.

What is the average size of an umbilical hernia?

Key points to remember

  • Hernias don't go away on their own. Only surgery can repair a hernia.
  • Many people are able to delay surgery for months or even years. ...
  • Over time, hernias tend to get bigger as the muscle wall of the belly gets weaker and more tissue bulges through.
  • Many doctors recommend surgery because it prevents a rare but serious problem called strangulation. ...

How to reduce an umbilical hernia with exercise?

Do umbilical hernias always need surgery?

How to fix an umbilical hernia without surgery?

What size of umbilical hernia needs surgery?

Surgery is not advised unless the hernia persists to age 4 or 5 years, enlarges, causes symptoms, or becomes strangulated or unless the fascial defect becomes progressively larger after the age of 1 to 2 years. Defects exceeding 2 cm are less likely to close spontaneously.

Do umbilical hernias get bigger in adults?

In babies, umbilical hernias may show as a bulge near the navel when they cough, cry or strain. These bulges don't typically cause pain. Symptoms in adults with umbilical hernias include: Bulge in or near the bellybutton that usually gets bigger when straining, lifting or coughing.

When should I worry about my umbilical hernia in adults?

A bulge in the belly button or surrounding region (often most visible when coughing or straining) Pain at the hernia site. Constipation. Sharp abdominal pain and vomiting can mean the hernia is strangulated (note: if you are experiencing these symptoms please seek immediate medical attention as surgery may be required) ...

What is the normal size of hernia?

The area of weakness in the abdominal wall can be very small (less than half an inch) or it can be as large as 2 to 3 inches. Umbilical hernias are common in newborns but may disappear gradually over time. They may also occur in adults who are overweight or in women who have been pregnant many times.

Does umbilical hernia make your stomach big?

An umbilical hernia creates a soft swelling or bulge near the navel. In babies who have an umbilical hernia, the bulge may be visible only when they cry, cough or strain. Umbilical hernias in children are usually painless. Umbilical hernias that appear during adulthood may cause abdominal discomfort.

Will an umbilical hernia go away with weight loss?

Weight loss alone may be all you need to reduce the size of your hernia and eliminate pain. Hernias never go away on their own, and the only way to treat a hernia is with surgery.

What type of hernia is most severe?

Strangulated hernias are life threatening and require emergency medical care.

Do umbilical hernias affect bowel movements?

Symptoms of umbilical hernia Cries. Strains while making a bowel movement. Coughs.

Can you exercise with umbilical hernia?

In many children, umbilical hernias can often be resolved with simple exercises instead of surgery. For adults, however, surgery is often required, and gentle exercise helps during recovery.

Does the size of a hernia matter?

And bigger hernias are less dangerous than small ones. “The smaller they are the more risk they might be for getting intestines stuck in them,” stated Dr. Dilworth. For hernias, size matters!

What is considered a large abdominal hernia?

Massive ventral hernias are those that have a length or width of at least 15 centimeters (cm) or an overall area of 150 cm2, according to the Journal of American Surgery. They pose a serious surgical risk.

Does a hernia grow in size?

Other than umbilical hernias in babies, hernias will not disappear on their own. Over time, a hernia can grow larger and more painful or can develop complications.

What is an umbilical hernia?

An umbilical hernia occurs at the umbilicus (belly button) when a loop of intestine pushes through the umbilical ring, a small opening in a fetus’ abdominal muscles through which the umbilical cord—which connects a fetus to its mother while in the womb—passes. Umbilical hernias occur most often in newborns, and 90 percent will naturally close by the time the child reaches 5 years of age.

When do umbilical hernias close?

Nearly all umbilical hernias will have closed without surgery by age 5. In general, if the hernia becomes bigger with age, is not reducible or is still present after age 3, the child's provider may suggest that the hernia be repaired surgically.

How to tell if a hernia is reducible?

Hernias are usually diagnosed during a physical examination by a health care provider. The provider will look and feel for a bulge or swelling in the belly button area. The swelling may be more noticeable when a baby cries and may get smaller or go away when a baby relaxes or rests on its back. During the examination, the provider will determine if the hernia is reducible—if it can be pushed back into the abdominal cavity.

What causes a small hole in the umbilical cord?

Umbilical Hernia Causes. After birth, the umbilical cord is no longer necessary, and the opening in the abdominal muscles closes as the baby matures. Sometimes, these muscles do not meet completely, leaving a small hole or gap.

Can a loop of the intestine cause a hernia?

A loop of intestine can move into and even penetrate the opening between abdominal muscles and cause a hernia. Umbili cal hernias occur most often in infants but can also occur in adults. The most common causes of umbilical hernias in adults are: Chronic health conditions that raise abdominal pressure, including: ...

Can a hernia be incarcerated?

The provider will also look for and complete a medical history to determine if the umbilical hernia has become incarcerated (trapped within the abdominal opening), a serious medical condition in which the protruding intestine becomes trapped and deprived of blood supply. The intestine can quickly become necrotic if not repaired, which requires surgical removal of the affected intestine. Symptoms of a strangulated umbilical hernia include:

When a baby has an umbilical hernia, is it noticeable?

When a baby has an umbilical hernia, it may not be noticeable except when the baby is upset, crying, or coughing. If you happen to see a bulge in the baby’s navel area and it only appears when your child cries or coughs, speak to the child’s pediatrician about it.

What are the risk factors for umbilical hernia?

In adults, the risk factors associated with an umbilical hernia include: Overall abdominal pressure. Obesity. Ascites, or fluid in the abdominal cavity. Multiple pregnancies. Prior abdominal surgery. Chronic peritoneal dialysis. High work activity, like lifting and carrying heavy loads. Chronic cough.

What is the term for a hernia in the womb?

Umbilical hernia is a condition that occurs when tissue, like intestines, protrude through weakened muscles around the navel (umbilicus). This condition occurs mostly among infants. There is a small opening in a baby’s abdominal muscles made by the passage of the umbilical cord while in the womb.

What happens if a baby has a hernia?

You or your baby vomits. The hernia becomes swollen, tender, painful, and/or discolored.

How old does a hernia need to be to be closed?

For infants, the condition usually corrects itself by the time the baby is one or two years old. If by the age of four, the hernia has not yet closed, surgery may be required. For adults, serious complications can arise, particularly incarceration or obstruction of the intestines, if treatment is not provided.

What are the factors that characterize those persons most at risk for this type of hernia?

The factors characterizing those persons most at risk for this type of hernia are dependent on if it is an infant or an adult. 1.1 Risk Factors for Infants. Infants overall are most at risk, but the risk increases if any of the following factors are present: Premature.

Can an umbilical hernia be traumatic?

To a lesser extent, umbilical hernias also occur in adults. But when it happens to an adult, it can be a medical emergency. Having a hernia can be a traumatic experience. Our personal injury lawyers answer common questions you may have about this type of hernia: 1.

How common is an umbilical hernia?

They are particularly common in infants born preterm. Up to 75 percent. of newborns with a birth weight of less than 1.5 kilograms (kg) have an umbilical hernia. While the developing fetus is in the womb, the umbilical cord passes through an opening in the abdominal wall. This should close soon after birth.

Which age group has the highest risk of umbilical hernia?

Age: Infants, especially those born preterm, have a higher risk of an umbilical hernia than adults.

What causes a bulge in the navel?

An umbilical hernia causes a bulge in the area around the navel. Umbilical hernias are common in young infants, but the exact rate is not known because many cases go unreported and resolve themselves without the need for treatment. They are particularly common in infants born preterm. Up to 75 percent.

What is the term for a hernia in the abdomen?

An umbilical hernia occurs when part of the bowel or fatty tissue pokes through an area near the belly button, pushing through a weak spot in the surrounding abdominal wall. There are different types of hernia. According to an article in The BMJ, a true umbilical hernia. happens when there is a defect in the anterior abdominal wall ...

How long does it take to get an umbilical hernia removed?

An umbilical hernia operation usually takes about 20 to 30 minutes.

What is the opening in the umbilical cord?

Infants: As the fetus develops in the womb, a small opening forms in the abdominal muscles. This opening allows the umbilical cord to pass through. This connects the woman who is pregnant to the baby.

How to repair a hernia in open surgery?

In open surgery, the surgeon will open the site and repair the hernia by using mesh and stitching the muscle together.

Where is the umbilical hernia located?

An umbilical hernia occurs when part of your intestine bulges through the opening in your abdominal muscles near your bellybutton (navel). Umbilical hernias are common and typically harmless. Umbilical hernias are most common in infants, but they can affect adults as well.

How do you know if you have an umbilical hernia?

In babies who have an umbilical hernia, the bulge may be visible only when they cry, cough or strain. Umbilical hernias in children are usually painless. Umbilical hernias that appear during adulthood may cause abdominal discomfort.

What is a hernia in children?

Umbilical hernia. An umbilical hernia creates a soft swelling or bulge near the navel. It occurs when part of the intestine protrudes through the umbilical opening in the abdominal muscles. Umbilical hernias in children are usually painless.

Why does my umbilical cord close?

Causes. During gestation, the umbilical cord passes through a small opening in the baby's abdominal muscles. The opening normally closes just after birth. If the muscles don't join together completely in the midline of the abdominal wall, an umbilical hernia may appear at birth or later in life. In adults, too much abdominal pressure contributes ...

What causes a hernia in the abdomen?

In adults, too much abdominal pressure contributes to umbilical hernias. Causes of increased pressure in the abdomen include: 1 Obesity 2 Multiple pregnancies 3 Fluid in the abdominal cavity 4 Previous abdominal surgery 5 Long-term peritoneal dialysis to treat kidney failure

What to do if your baby has a hernia?

If you suspect that your baby has an umbilical hernia, talk with the baby's doctor. Seek emergency care if your baby has an umbilical hernia and: Has tenderness, swelling or discoloration at the site of the hernia. Similar guidelines apply to adults. Talk with your doctor if you have a bulge near your navel.

Can a hernia cause abdominal pain?

For children, complications of an umbilical hernia are rare. Complications can occur when the protruding abdominal tissue becomes trapped (incarcerated) and can no longer be pushed back into the abdominal cavity. This reduces the blood supply to the section of trapped intestine and can lead to abdominal pain and tissue damage.

How common is an umbilical hernia?

Umbilical hernia is a rather common surgical problem. Approximately 10% of all primary hernias comprise umbilical and epigastric hernias (1). Approximately 175,000 umbilical hernia repairs are annually performed in the US (2). It has been reported that the share of umbilical and paraumbilical hernia repairs among all repairs for abdominal wall hernias increased from 5% to 14% in UK in the last 25 years (3). A similar rise has been reported in a recent multicenter study from Turkey (4).

Where do hernias occur in the umbilical region?

Many hernias in the umbilical region occur above or below the umbilicus through a weak place at the linea alba, rather than directly through the umbilicus itself, and the natural history and treatment do not differ for these hernias. The European Hernia Society classification (8) for primary abdominal wall hernias defines the midline hernias from 3 cm above to 3 cm below the umbilicus as umbilical hernia (Figure 1).

What are the borders of the umbilical canal?

The borders of the umbilical canal are the umbilical fascia posteriorly, the linea alba anteriorly and medial edges of the two rectus sheaths on two sides. Herniation happens due to increasing intra-abdominal pressure. Predisposing factors include obesity, multiple pregnancies, ascites, and abdominal tumors (9). The content of the hernia sac may be preperitoneal fat tissue, omentum, and small intestine in the majority; a combination of those can take part. Large intestines are very rarely involved (10). The neck of the umbilical hernia is usually narrow compared with the size of the herniated mass, hence, strangulation is common. Therefore, an elective repair after diagnosis is advised.

Why is an umbilical hernia associated with high morbidity and mortality?

An umbilical hernia has a tendency to be associated with high morbidity and mortality in comparison with inguinal hernia because of the higher risk of incarceration and strangulation that require an emergency repair. Although the number of articles with the title word “umbilical hernia” increased 2.6-fold between the periods 1991–2000 and 2001–2010, there still appears to be a certain discrepancy between its importance and the attention it has received in the literature (7). In this paper, the nature of the umbilical hernias is reviewed, and the current options for their surgical repair are discussed.

What is the best way to repair an umbilical hernia?

There are mainly two repair options for umbilical hernias: suture and mesh. Simple primary suture repair can be used for small defects (<2–3 cm). The technique of overlapping abdominal wall fascia in a “vest-over-pants” manner was described by William Mayo (17) and remained the most renowned surgical technique for a long time. There are few clinical studies with Mayo technique in the literature (6, 12). High recurrence rates up to 28% have been reported (10).

Can an obese patient have a hernia?

Obese patients with umbilical hernia comprise a special group. A recent comparative study by Colon et al. (34) stated that laparoscopic umbilical hernia repair should be the preferred approach in obese patients. They found a significant increase in wound infection rate in the open mesh repair group when compared with the laparoscopic procedure (26% vs. 4%; p<0.05). They observed no hernia recurrence in the laparoscopic group, whereas the open group had 4% recurrence rate. In contrast, Kulacoglu et al. (5) demonstrated that obese patients also require more local anesthetic dose in open mesh repair.

Is laparoscopy used for hernia repair?

Today the utilization of laparoscopy for umbilical hernia repair remains relatively low in the world. Laparoscopy is preferred in just a quarter of the cases (31). There are a few studies comparing open and laparoscopic repairs for umbilical hernias. Short-term outcomes from the American College of Surgeons National Surgery Quality Improvement Program recently revealed a potential decrease in the total and wound morbidity associated with laparoscopic repair for elective primary umbilical hernia repairs at the expense of longer operative time and length of hospital stay and increased respiratory and cardiac complications (32). In their multivariate model, after controlling for body mass index, gender, the American Society of Anesthesiologists class, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the odds ratio for overall complications favored laparoscopic repair (OR=0.60; p=0.01). This difference was primarily driven by the reduced wound complication rate in laparoscopy group.

How to diagnose an umbilical hernia?

An umbilical hernia is diagnosed during a physical exam. Sometimes imaging studies — such as an abdominal ultrasound or a CT scan — are used to screen for complications.

When do umbilical hernias close?

Most umbilical hernias in babies close on their own by age 1 or 2.Your doctor may even be able to push the bulge back into the abdomen during a physical exam. Don't try this on your own, however.

Why do you need surgery for an umbilical hernia?

For adults, surgery is typically recommended to avoid possible complications, especially if the umbilical hernia gets bigger or becomes painful.

What to do if your child has a hernia?

If you or your child has signs or symptoms common to an umbilical hernia, make an appointment with your family doctor or your child's pediatrician. Here's some information to help you prepare for your appointment and know what to expect from your doctor.

What is an umbilical hernia?

An umbilical hernia is a bulge through the abdominal wall near your umbilicus ( belly button). The hernia may contain tissue from the abdomen, part of an organ (such as the intestine), or fluid.

How is an umbilical hernia treated?

He or she will put firm, steady pressure on your hernia until it disappears behind the abdominal wall. You may need surgery to fix the hernia if it cannot be reduced. Surgery will also be needed if your intestines or other organ get trapped inside the hernia. This can stop blood flow to the organ and become an emergency.

What increases my risk for an umbilical hernia?

Umbilical hernias usually happen because of a hole or weak area in your abdominal muscles. Umbilical hernias happen more often in women than in men. The following may increase your risk for an umbilical hernia:

What does it mean when your hernia is blue?

Your hernia gets bigger, feels firm, or turns blue or purple. You have severe abdominal pain with nausea or vomiting. You stop having bowel movements and passing gas. You have blood in your bowel movement.

How to stop a hernia from getting bigger?

Fiber may prevent constipation and straining during a bowel movement. This can prevent your hernia from getting bigger. Foods that contain fiber include fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. Avoid heavy lifting. Heavy lifting can put pressure on your hernia and make it bigger.

Can a hernia be reduced?

Your healthcare provider may be able to reduce your hernia. He or she will put firm, steady pressure on your hernia until it disappears behind the abdominal wall. You may need surgery to fix the hernia if it cannot be reduced. Surgery will also be needed if your intestines or other organ get trapped inside the hernia.

Can heavy lifting make a hernia bigger?

Heavy lifting can put pressure on your hernia and make it bigger. Ask your healthcare provider how much is safe to lift. Do not place anything over your umbilical hernia. Do not place tape or a coin over the hernia. This treatment does not help treat a hernia.

What are the complications of an umbilical hernia?

Other complications specific to umbilical hernia repair are uncommon but include: 1 damage to other organs in the abdomen - this is more likely if the operation is done using keyhole surgery and further surgery may be needed to repair any damage 2 pain or numbness in the lower abdomen - this may last several months 3 re-occurrence - it's possible the umbilical hernia may re-occur

How to repair a hernia in the lower abdomen?

The hernia is repaired using specially designed surgical instruments passed through the other cuts. A synthetic mesh may be used to strengthen the wall of the abdomen. The skin cuts are closed with stitches.

What is the purpose of a hernia repair operation?

About the operation. The aim of a hernia repair operation is to push the contents of the bulge back into the abdomen and strengthen the abdominal wall. There are two main types of hernia repair operations - open and keyhole. In most cases, the operation is an open repair, which involves a small cut just below your belly button.

How long is a cut in the abdomen?

Open surgery. A single cut (5 to 10cm long) is made just below or above your belly button, and the bulge is pushed back into place. Your surgeon may stitch a synthetic mesh over the weak spot to strengthen the wall of the abdomen. The skin cut is closed with stitches and covered with a dressing.

Is it safe to repair a hernia?

Umbilical hernia repair is commonly performed and generally safe. However, in order to make an informed decision and give your consent, you need to be aware of the possible side-effects and the risk of complications of this procedure.

Can you sleep during a hernia surgery?

Umbilical hernia repair is usually done as a day-case procedure under general anaesthesia. This means you will be asleep during the procedure. Alternatively you may prefer to have the surgery under local anaesthesia. This completely blocks feeling around the belly button area and you will stay awake during the operation.

Can a hernia cause a bulge in the belly button?

Diagnosis. Your doctor will examine your belly button. The belly button will usually bulge out if you have an umbilical hernia. An umbilical hernia can cause serious illness if it's left untreated in adults. The risk of illness increases with the size of the hernia. Your GP or surgeon will usually recommend umbilical hernia repair.

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