Pain after the operation

The operation of an umbilical hernia (umbilical hernia) is usually performed on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia. Because of the anaesthesia (general anaesthesia is also possible when admitted to hospital) the patient is painless during the operation (analgesia). The patient can leave the clinic after only 2 hours.

Nevertheless, pain may occur after the operation of the umbilical hernia. However, this pain is not abnormal and is caused by injury to superficial (peripheral) nerves on the skin surface and in the area of fat and muscle tissue. Tension of the abdominal muscles in particular can lead to increased pain.

In most cases, however, the pain disappears again within a few days. Nevertheless, you should avoid unnecessary abdominal muscle contractions and especially the lifting of heavy objects as the pain will then become more intense again. Chronic postoperative pain is not to be expected.

The leakage of individual intestinal sections through the abdominal wall in the form of an umbilical hernia is a phenomenon that can be observed very frequently in children. The probability of the development of an umbilical hernia in children is about 3 percent. Premature babies with a birth weight of less than 1500g even have a 75 percent probability of suffering an umbilical hernia within the first years of life.

In general, it is assumed that an umbilical hernia in children can spontaneously regress up to the age of three years without medical intervention. The umbilical hernia in children usually manifests itself by the development of a visible tumor during crying or defecation. In contrast to adults, acquired weakness within the abdominal wall plays a minor role in the development of umbilical hernia in children.

Acquired forms of umbilical hernia in children are also caused by a divergence of the connective tissue, but are rather rare.When an umbilical hernia develops in a child, the former exit point of the abdominal organs is usually already inadequately closed during pregnancy (embryonic development of the gastrointestinal tract). Due to this congenital weakness, sections of the intestine can subsequently leak out due to an increase in pressure within the abdominal cavity. In children, there is in most cases no need for medical treatment of the umbilical hernia until the end of the third year of life.

The rate of spontaneous regressions is very high until this time. However, if the umbilical hernia in children does not completely and permanently recede by the end of the third year of life, surgical treatment must be considered. In addition, umbilical hernia in children can also result in the entrapment of individual sections of the intestine and a consequent reduced blood supply to the intestinal tissue.

Parents of affected children often notice in such cases that the hernia sac can no longer be pushed back. In addition, the affected children develop severe cramp-like abdominal pain. The occurrence of pronounced nausea and/or vomiting is also not uncommon.

Parents of affected children should note in this context that this is a medical emergency and potentially life-threatening. For this reason, it is imperative that a pediatrician be consulted immediately. If individual sections of the intestine are cut off due to an umbilical hernia, surgical treatment must be performed urgently.

During the classic umbilical hernia operation, the resulting hernial sac is moved back into the abdominal cavity and its point of passage is then closed with sutures between the connective tissue and the abdominal muscles. This form of surgery can be performed on children as an inpatient or outpatient procedure. The decision on the most suitable variant should be made jointly by the treating physician and the parents. Regardless of the chosen surgical method, the affected children usually recover quickly from the operation. An umbilical hernia in children has a very good prognosis even if surgery is necessary.