Cervical hernia surgery (hernia)

Dr. Keidar is a senior pediatric surgeon in the Department of Pediatric Surgery at the Edith Wolfson Hospital.

Umbilical hernia surgery (hernia) - everything you need to know!

A umbilical hernia is an opening left in the abdominal wall after birth in about 3% of newborns and about 30% of preterm infants. When we do not pass until the age of 3 years, he needs surgery.

A umbilical hernia is a congenital condition in which the connective tissue ring located in the abdominal wall, around the origin of the umbilical cord, does not close after birth. That is, it is an opening in the abdominal wall (which may be filled with intestinal or adipose tissue). It occurs in about 3% of newborns and about 30% of preterm infants, the hernia appears as a bulge that comes out of the navel and is usually discovered in the first weeks of life (after the umbilical stump falls off). Sometimes it can be seen only when the baby coughs or cries (when the intra-abdominal pressure increases). If the hernia is very small, it may be discovered only at a later age and the expression will appear as a bulge in the umbilical region while crying, the size of the bulge does not reflect the size of the hernia.

It is estimated that 2–10% of cases the hernia will not close on its own by the age of three. Surgery will be required if it is not closed by this age. As the hernia may grow and in rare cases the intestines may be trapped in it and not return to the abdominal cavity. The chance of the hernia closing naturally depends on the age and size of the hernia. For example, it is very likely that a hernia less than an inch in diameter in a small baby will close on its own. On the other hand, the probability of a two-centimeter-diameter hernia in a three-year-old child closing in on itself is extremely low. The risk factors for hernia failure are genetic syndromes that connective tissue diseases do not develop properly, hypothyroidism and miscarriages.

What else is important to understand about umbilical hernia surgery in children?

Before and after umbilical hernia surgery in children - what do you need to know?

In surgery performed under general anesthesia, a small semicircular incision is made in the lower fold inside the navel, the defect in the muscle envelope is identified and the defect is closed with a small number of sutures. There is a belief that a hernia was formed as a result of the detachment of the umbilical cord during childbirth, but this is an incorrect assumption.

Infants up to 3 months of age remain under 24-hour supervision and over 3-4 months as a few hours after surgery can be discharged.

The plaster placed at the time of surgery remains until the time of the examination (about a week).

The baby can be showered the next day.

Children involved in sports activities The recommendation is to avoid activities for about two weeks.

If they do not, the hernia and bulge surgeons will increase over time and with them the danger of a trapped hernia.

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You're not alone!

In addition, as a senior and experienced surgeon who performs hundreds of pediatric surgeries of all kinds, even the most complex ones, and uses state-of-the-art medical equipment and although umbilical hernia surgery is one of the most common surgeries in children, it requires great skill, especially in toddlers. And when done by the results are good and the complication rate tends to zero.

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