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Writer's pictureLuis Melendez

I have a Belly Button Hernia, Should I fix it?

Advanced Hernia Specialists- Hernia Blog Post by: L. Melendez www.advancedherniaspecialists.com

A belly-button hernia, also called an umbilical or sometimes an epigastric hernia depending on its location, is when there is a defect in the abdominal wall near the belly-button and it feels like your insides are protruding. The tissue that "herniates" through the abdominal wall is often fat connective tissue (omentum) or intestines. You can see this especially when you laugh out loud, cough, or do heavy lifting.


Umbilical or epigastric hernias can be mildly bothersome for some, but in others it can be very painful and limiting to daily activity.


Should I have a doctor look at my bulge?


The answer is simple: Yes!


Have a consultation with a hernia surgeon. The surgeon will be able to examine you, tell you if you actually have a hernia, and if so, provide you with options for a repair.


According to recent scholarly articles, an umbilical or epigastric hernia is simple to repair, and very often with great success. There are many different techniques used to repair these types of hernias. Your surgeon could repair it with a 2-million-dollar robot, or with a laparoscope (key-hole surgery), or with a simple open approach through a small incision.

A recent study by the British Journal of Surgery that also included cases in the United States, concluded that for simple umbilical or epigastric hernias, the best way to repair it is simply by an open approach.

So, there you have it. No need to overdo it with a robotic procedure or even a laparoscopic procedure for a simple belly-button hernia. This is a same-day surgery, and you can return to work in a few days.

See a hernia surgeon. It has been shown that patients achieve the best outcomes when they consult an experienced specialized hernia surgeon for your umbilical or epigastric hernia repair. Dr. Eric Pinnar, a board-certified general surgeon, has repaired thousands of hernias in his over 20 years of experience.


Call Advanced Hernia Specialists at (904) 808-5658 | advancedherniaspecialists.com | contact@advancedherniaspecialists.com.


Join us next time to discuss other types of hernias here at Advanced Hernia Specialists- Hernia Blog….






Reference:

N A Henriksen, A Montgomery, R Kaufmann, F Berrevoet, B East, J Fischer, W Hope, D

Klassen, R Lorenz, Y Renard, M A Garcia Urena, M P Simons, on behalf of the European and Americas Hernia Societies (EHS and AHS), Guidelines for treatment of umbilical and epigastric hernias from the European Hernia Society and Americas Hernia Society, British Journal of Surgery, Volume 107, Issue 3, February 2020, Pages 171–190, https://doi.org/10.1002/bjs.11489


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