Therapy
In most cases, an umbilical hernia in a newborn or baby does not require any medical intervention.In most cases, the umbilical hernia in babies regresses completely and without any problems within the first years of life without any damage to the organ sections located in the hernia sac. However, if the affected baby complains of discomfort or even pain in the region of the umbilicus, it is advisable to initiate therapy as soon as possible. Possible therapy options for a baby’s umbilical hernia are both non-surgical and surgical measures.
In particular, however, the examination in the presence of a painful umbilical hernia is in the foreground. In these cases, it must be urgently clarified whether the hernial sac is jammed. In most cases, the treating pediatrician will first try to push the hernia sac back into the abdominal cavity under slight pressure.
This method is particularly gentle and can be performed quickly and easily. However, the success rate of the so-called reduction of the umbilical hernia is not very high. In addition, the umbilical hernia can be treated in babies by bandaging.
In most cases, the hernia sac pushes itself back through the weak point in the abdominal wall quite quickly. The next possible treatment option is the surgical correction of the umbilical hernia. However, this method is only rarely performed on the baby and under special circumstances.
The reason for this is the fact that the surgical relocation of the umbilical hernia has to be performed under general anesthesia and this is a particular danger especially for a baby. During the actual umbilical hernia operation, a distinction can be made between a so-called open and a closed procedure. In most cases, the surgeon will use the much gentler closed procedure (endoscopic surgery of the umbilical hernia).
The open procedure, in which a vertical or horizontal incision is made along the navel, is only used if a closed operation does not bring the desired success. The aim of the surgical correction of the umbilical hernia in babies is the complete relocation of the organs back into the abdominal cavity. In addition, the weak point in the abdominal wall must be stabilized in such a way that the recurrence of an umbilical hernia can be prevented.
