Umbilical hernia in adults: surgery reviews, symptoms and treatment

When a patient is referred to a hospital with an umbilical hernia, it is more often recommended that she be removed by surgery. But many are afraid and pull to the last, hoping that everything will resolve itself. In fact, get rid of fear and anxiety will help to know what is the umbilical hernia in adults, feedback on the operation, Information about where it comes from, why it should be done, and what is the danger of delay.

What is the umbilical hernia?

Normally, in a place where the tendon and muscle fibers come in contact, they are closely intertwined, but sometimes, in the area of the navel, for some reason, are not closely adjacent to each other, and then the umbilical ring relaxes and increases. Obtained peculiar hernial gates, which allow the organs of the abdominal cavity under internal pressure to bulge outwards beyond its limits, forming an umbilical hernia. Usually it is a large omentum or part of the intestine. They are located in a hernial sac, consisting of a membrane of the peritoneum.

At the beginning of the disease, the umbilical hernia is still small and easily recedes into the interior, but gradually, as a result of the adhesive process, the hernial sac splits up with the surrounding tissues, and it is no longer possible to put the hernia inside. And eventually the umbilical ring can expand so much that a stomach can get into the hernial sac.

Umbilical hernia in adults: symptoms, treatment

When the hernia is small, it does not particularly disturb. Of course, sometimes there are unpleasant feelings, but they obviously do not influence the quality of life, and a small increase in the navel does not scare, especially men.

Gradually the adhesion process develops , the hernia becomes more difficult to regulate, pains occur with prolonged standing, coughing, and physical exertion.

Later, if the treatment was not performed, the patient begins to worry about constipation, there are difficulties with urination, frequent nausea, vomiting may occur. This stage is fraught with dangerous complications, and it is not worthwhile to delay with a visit to the surgeon.

The doctor, most likely, will offer surgery, since the alternative simply does not exist, although many hope that by fixing the hernia, they will get rid of it forever. But this is impossible, and only the surgeon can eliminate it.

The umbilical hernia in adults may differ in different ways. Reviews about this disease are diverse. Those who have not reached a large size and do not particularly bother, are optimistic. But some patients complain of periodically arising unbearable pains, which even powerful painkillers are unable to eliminate.

Causes of umbilical hernia

Most often this disease develops due to the weakening of the anterior wall of the peritoneum and the umbilical ring. Another factor is the strong pressure from the inside of the abdominal cavity. When both reasons are present, the hernia develops quickly, and the situation is considered dangerous and needs prompt treatment.

The reasons why the umbilical ring can relax are as follows:

• Lack of physical activity and muscle weakness.
• Features of connective tissue from birth.
• Excessive completeness.
• Fast weight loss.
• Pregnancy (usually develops with late delivery).
• Spikes and stitches after surgery.
• Injuries to the abdomen.

The increase in intrauterine pressure is due to:

• Childbirth, accompanied by complications.
• Great physical activity.
• Frequent constipation.
• Prolonged, tense cough.

Diagnostics

Usually, the surgeon diagnoses the presence of the disease quickly enough. Symptoms of it are pronounced. The doctor interrogates the patient and finds out whether there are pains in the abdominal area during coughing, physical exertion. Examining the patient, he finds out whether the umbilical ring is enlarged. He will prescribe a radiograph of the stomach, duodenum, ultrasonography of protrusion, gastroscopy to establish more detailed information. Assign gerniografiyu - this introduction into the abdominal cavity of contrast medium, which will allow to examine the hernia.

When there is a suspicion that there was an umbilical hernia - in adults, - the symptoms, treatment is determined only by the doctor, otherwise it is possible to confuse it with another, no less, and maybe even more serious disease.

Umbilical hernia and pregnancy

With a gradual increase in the uterus, intra-abdominal pressure also increases, so the umbilical hernia is a frequent phenomenon in pregnant women. But surgical intervention is usually not required, since the disease proceeds fairly calmly. This is because the pressure build-up is gradual, and even the uterus, located between the portal of the hernial sac and the organs, prevents their strong fallout.

Especially the surgical operation during pregnancy negatively affects it. Therefore, the doctor recommends wearing compression lingerie and bandage. They are selected necessarily under his leadership.

The same doctor will observe the patient after the birth and determine the period of the operation. Usually this happens when the abdominal muscles after stretching are restored, like the whole body of a woman.

Some women who were diagnosed with umbilical hernia during pregnancy (in adults), the reviews about the operation leave the most positive . Some surgeons, at their request, eliminated small cosmetic defects associated with bearing a child. And the operations are conducted sparing methods and do not leave ugly scars and traces on the body, which is most important for a woman.

Possible complications

Exacerbations may occur at any time of hernia appearance. The most dangerous is its infringement, when there is a violation of blood circulation, and the tissues of the body begin to die. Usually this happens in the elderly, as the conditions for this develop over the course of life.

Inflammation of that organ which has got in a hernial bag, often it is a loop of an intestine or an epiploon can begin. At the same time, part of the peritoneum enters there, which can contribute to the rapid development of peritonitis.

Usually complications are provoked by lifting heavy objects or considerable physical exertion. But it also happens that even laughter, coughing or sneezing can serve as an excuse for jamming. Violation of defecation can contribute to Increase the pressure on the hernia and serve as an excuse for inflammation.

Symptoms of its infringement:

• There is a sharp pain in the umbilical ring.
• It is impossible to fix a hernia in the abdominal cavity, if before it happened quite easily.
• The hernial sac becomes hot and tense.
• With severe inflammation, there is a general intoxication, accompanied by headache, nausea, vomiting, aches in the joints and lower back, an increase in temperature.
• When pinching the intestinal loop, the symptoms are the same as with intestinal obstruction.

If these signs have appeared, then an immediate appeal to a doctor is absolutely justified.

Surgery for the removal of a hernia

The operation to remove the umbilical hernia is called hernioplasty, during its administration the organs return to the abdominal cavity, and the hernial gates are strengthened so that the disease does not return again.

It is better to perform it when the hernia has not yet reached a large size. Then there will be less complications, and the rehabilitation period passes without problems. With this, and those who have an umbilical hernia are also agreed. In adults, the feedback on the operation just confirms this opinion: everyone who turned in time to the hospital says that they are feeling fine, and there was no repeated protrusion.

Surgical intervention is contraindicated in complex heart diseases, chronic pathologies, acute infections and pregnancy.

From the way the clinical picture proceeds, the choice of the procedure for the operation depends. The plastic surgery of the hernial gates can take place with the involvement of the patient's tissues, and sometimes synthetic implants in the form of a grid are used. The endoprosthesis is used when the hernial gates are greatly expanded, and the umbilical ring is greatly weakened. Usually this method justifies itself, and there are no post-operative relapses.

The disadvantage of the classical hernioplasty method is a long recovery period, its duration can go up to a year, in case the hernia was large or there was infringement.

What does the umbilical hernia look like in adults after the operation? The photo below shows how successfully hernioplasty is performed and how the belly looks if the treatment to the doctor was timely.

If the operation is planned, and the hernia is small, the doctor can offer laparoscopy. In this case, no incisions are made, and everything happens with the help of several punctures. This method is relatively young and quite effective. The main condition - the hernia should not be large.

Its advantage is that relapses occur extremely rarely, rehabilitation is much faster than with open interventions, and scars are almost invisible. This is due to the fact that adjacent tissues are much less injured, the risk of postoperative adhesions decreases.

How successful is the umbilical hernia in adults? Feedback after surgery is mostly positive. Almost all patients claim that during the procedure, although local anesthesia was used, they did not feel any pain and even talked with the surgeon.

There are also those to which the disease returned again for various reasons: due to severe fright, lifting weights, coughing. When the operation is repeated, many people decide to put an endoprosthesis.

Rehabilitation

When umbilical hernia was removed in adults, after surgery, treatment Further passes in the hospital. Get out of bed you can already the next day, and if everything went well, you can soon go home. When there were certain complications with infringement and inflammation, there is a need for injections of antibiotics, and it will take longer to lie in the hospital.

To prevent the disease from coming back and the pressure on the still weak seams has significantly decreased, it is recommended to wear a special bandage after the operation.

With umbilical hernia, physical exertion has a beneficial effect on recovery, but they should be moderate and consistent with the patient's condition. Sports walking and easy running are allowed after two weeks. A lifting of weights and training allowed in a month, and then it must be strictly dosage load.

Nutrition after surgery

A careful attitude to food requires an umbilical hernia in adults after surgery. The diet should be sparing, and there are those products that lead to constipation and gas formation, it is contraindicated, since they can cause excessive pressure on the intestines.

Fatty meat, fish, smoked meat and marinades are those foods that should not be present in the diet. They also include mushrooms, legumes, black bread, yeast pastry, cream, ice cream, hard-boiled eggs.

Porridge from corn flour, millet and pearl barley is also better not to eat, like raisins, dried apricots, sunflower seeds and nuts. Vegetables such as radish and radish, tomatoes, cabbage, onions and garlic, sweet peppers and eggplants are also harmful for maintaining the integrity of the seam.

Peristalsis of the intestine can increase, and the volume of stools will increase significantly if you eat a lot of foods that contain fiber, which is also necessary In every possible way to avoid. But at the same time, it is necessary for better emptying of the intestine, therefore it is necessary to use it, but with caution. Bananas, peaches, apples, grapes - let them wait until the stitches are removed, as well as black tea, coffee, juices, kvass and alcohol.

Of course, the diet is quite tough, but it contributes to a speedy recovery, and to endure quite realistically. Before the removal of stitches, you should eat only low-fat broth, semi-liquid vegetable rubbed soups, thin cereal, cottage cheese, dietary meat or fish, steamed, soft-boiled egg or omelet, a small amount of crackers. To drink it is better not strong tea and fruit-berry kissels. These simple products will help to satisfy hunger, and postoperative sutures will be intact.

It becomes clear: when there is an umbilical hernia in adults, the feedback about the operation shows that the earlier the treatment is started, and in this case it is the surgeon's intervention, the consequences are more predictable, and the illness can be forgotten with time in the future.