What is Umbilical Hernia? Umbilical Hernia Causes and Treatment
The umbilical cord is the channel that creates a connection between the mother and the baby and enables blood exchange. This cord opens outside with the help of a small gap between the muscles in the baby’s inner abdominal wall. At birth, the umbilical cord is cut when the baby is born, and after a while it dries and falls off on its own. In most cases, the gap between the muscles in the abdomen that allows the umbilical cord to come out closes after a certain period of time after birth. When this closure is delayed and the intestines or fatty tissues in the abdominal cavity protrude from the cavity, a condition called umbilical hernia occurs. Closure of the umbilical cord opening in babies is usually completed by the age of two, but rarely may be delayed until the age of 4-5. For this reason, umbilical hernia is much more common in babies. Surgical operations may be used for the treatment of umbilical hernias that do not close until the age of 4-5 or that occur in adulthood.
What is Umbilical Hernia?
Umbilical hernia is the swelling that can be seen or felt around the belly button, which is called umbilicus in medicine. An umbilical hernia occurs when the abdominal layers around the space where the umbilical cord opens outside the body do not close completely, or when fatty tissue, intestines or some fluid protrude from the small opening around the belly button.
This condition may also be called umbilical hernia or belly button hernia. Umbilical hernia, which is very common among babies, is a mostly temporary condition that affects approximately 20% of each baby. However, umbilical hernia can occur not only in infancy but also in adulthood due to various reasons. The swelling caused by an umbilical hernia around the belly button may not always be visible.
In babies and children, a hernia usually becomes visible during deep breathing, coughing, crying, straining or doing activities that strain the abdominal muscles. The likelihood of an umbilical hernia in premature babies is higher than in term babies.
Umbilical Hernia Symptoms
The most basic symptom of umbilical hernia, or umbilical hernia, as it is medically known, is much more common in babies than in adults, and is the swelling in the navel that appears when the baby cries, strains, coughs or sneezes. The swelling in question can be seen as the belly button sticking out. In babies, this condition generally does not cause any pain or discomfort, and most of the time it disappears as a result of the union of the abdominal muscles by the age of two.
In adults, umbilical hernia progresses slightly differently in terms of symptoms and appearance. Intestines, fatty tissues, intra-abdominal structure and fluids pushed out through the opening in the navel can cause pain in the patient. Due to this pain and discomfort, called umbilical hernia pain, people may have difficulties in walking, running, bending and standing, or performing daily activities. In adults, the swelling in the belly is usually permanent and can be easily noticed by an outside observer.
Especially large hernias can be clearly seen from the outside and felt by the patient. However, for small-sized hernias, if there is sufficient space inside the belly button, there may be no visible swelling from the outside. These hernias can be noticed during stretching, contraction, coughing or movement, just like in babies. Another risk in small hernias is that the intestine may enter through the small hole and become suffocated. Umbilical hernias, which cause severe pain and lead to complications that can progress to death if left untreated, must be treated surgically in adulthood.
What Causes Umbilical Hernia?
It is considered normal that umbilical hernias are more common in babies because they are born with an opening in the abdominal cavity at birth. However, some of the reasons that increase the incidence of umbilical hernia include:
- premature birth
- low birth weight
- Incomplete union of the umbilical cord space between the abdominal muscles
Apart from these, conditions that increase the risk of umbilical hernia in adults include:
- Constant pressure on the abdominal area
- lifting heavy loads
- doing heavy sports
- Constantly bending over suddenly
- Weak abdominal muscles
- Being overweight and gaining or losing weight rapidly
- Having previously had surgery in the abdominal area
- Having multiple pregnancies and multiple pregnancies
- Fluid accumulation in the abdomen
- Presence of chronic constipation or diseases that cause constipation
- Frequent and severe cough problem
Which Department Should You Go to for Umbilical Hernia?
The medical unit that people who have swelling problems in or around their belly button should apply is general surgery outpatient clinics. Hernia problems in babies and children should be monitored and treated by pediatric surgeons. Since problems such as abdominal pain and swelling can be related to many different diseases, it would be beneficial for people who do not know whether the problem they are experiencing is an umbilical hernia or not, to first consult the internal medicine department.
Patients who are diagnosed with umbilical hernia after the research to be carried out here are then referred to general surgery clinics for treatment and treatment planning is made by general surgery specialists.
How to Diagnose Umbilical Hernia?
In babies, the presence of an umbilical hernia can be seen during current movements and the size and structure of the hernia can be examined. Another thing the doctor looks at if a hernia is detected during the examination is whether the umbilical hernia can be pushed into the abdominal cavity. If the hernia cannot be pushed towards the abdominal cavity, organ or tissue compression may occur within the cavity, which is a very dangerous situation.
If umbilical hernia in adults is not treated, the probability of compression is very high. Since serious complications may occur in stuck hernias due to obstruction of blood circulation, urgent surgical intervention must be performed. This condition, also called a strangulated umbilical hernia, may bring different complications such as fever, severe pain, nausea and vomiting.
Apart from the physical examination, the patient’s medical history should be taken in detail and information should be obtained on issues such as existing diseases and medications used. Then, after the condition of the hernia is determined in detail using imaging techniques such as ultrasound, x-ray or tomography, the treatment plan is determined.
How to Treat Umbilical Hernia?
Physical examination is sufficient for the preliminary diagnosis of umbilical hernia for both babies and adults. Patients applying to healthcare institutions are usually asked to lie on a stretcher. Then, for adults, the belly area is palpated and the patient may be asked to make certain movements, take deep breaths, or cough.
Since it is possible for the abdominal muscles to close in babies up to the age of 4, surgical treatment is generally not used for umbilical hernia as long as it does not cause any complications. In such cases, the condition of the hernia can be monitored at regular intervals and it can be expected to heal on its own until the age of 4. Surgery is generally recommended for umbilical hernias that have not healed by the fourth year of life, or that have become compressed or overgrown at an earlier age.
The situation is slightly different in adults, as the damage of an umbilical hernia can be much greater. Because for adults, there is no possibility of spontaneous healing of the hernia, and the possibility of the hernia developing complications due to physical activities is much higher. For this reason, surgical intervention planning is usually made from the first moment the hernia is diagnosed. The most commonly used method in treatment is the patch technique.
This method allows the closure of the gap between the abdominal muscles through which the hernia protrudes. The likelihood of recurrence of an umbilical hernia treated with this method is very low. Specially produced synthetic materials are generally used for the patch technique, which is a very safe treatment method.
Umbilical hernia surgery is a short-term operation performed under general anesthesia. When starting the surgery, after anesthesia is administered, a small incision is made a few centimeters below the belly button. Then, the intra-abdominal tissues forming the hernia sac are pushed into the abdominal cavity. The muscles and tissues around the belly button are repaired and reassembled.
In operations performed with the patch technique, at this stage, the space within the abdominal muscles is patched using synthetic patch materials. After the procedure is completed, the surgery is completed by stitching the incision. These procedures can be performed with open surgery or laparoscopy technique. Which method is preferred varies depending on the patient’s condition, the size of the hernia and its compression. Laparoscopy technique is generally preferred in suitable patients in order to reduce the risk of complications and shorten the recovery time. Patients who have undergone surgery should avoid doing heavy work for about a month, be careful not to exercise, or bend or stand up too much.
If you observe the signs of an umbilical hernia in yourself or your child and wonder how to diagnose an umbilical hernia, it would be beneficial for you to contact a health institution and undergo an examination. If you are diagnosed with an umbilical hernia, you can prevent the hernia from becoming compressed and causing serious complications by starting the treatment process as soon as possible.
