Synonyms in a broader sense
- Umbilical hernia
- Outer hernia
- Intestinal Hernia
Definition
The umbilical hernia (medically: the umbilical hernia) is a special form of a hernia. It is defined as the exit of viscera (usually fatty tissue and small intestine) from the abdominal cavity through a congenital or acquired gap located in one of the supporting abdominal wall layers. In order to speak of the presence of a hernia (umbilical hernia), several characteristics must be present:
- A hernial orifice, i.e. a weak point in the wall of the abdominal cavity
- A hernial sac that emerges through the hernial orifice and contains the sliding peritoneum
- A hernia content, which often simply consists of the large net or hernia water, but in individual cases can also contain movable abdominal organs such as parts of the small intestine
The umbilical hernia is a protrusion through a gap in the abdominal wall, which is located in the region of the navel.
It often occurs directly after birth in infancy, since the abdominal wall around the navel is often not fully developed at this time. But also in adults, umbilical hernias are not seldom found, which here are usually caused by increased stress on the abdominal wall and take a more severe course than in small children. Umbilical hernias with a relatively small hernial orifice carry the risk of incarceration of abdominal organs, which then causes considerable discomfort.
For this reason, an umbilical hernia in an adult is usually operated on. There are many different techniques available, but the choice of the appropriate technique depends on the size of the umbilical hernia, the activity of the patient and his general state of health. About every 20th hernia, i.e. about 5% of all hernias, is an umbilical hernia.
Most affected are women and infants (3% of infants are born with an umbilical hernia, among premature babies even up to 75%!). The probability of incarceration is about 30%, and 10 to 15% of affected patients die in this case. In infants the umbilical hernia almost always heals spontaneously without any form of therapy, but in adults it practically never heals, so surgery should not be performed.
In about 3% of the cases a new umbilical hernia occurs after the operation. The area around the umbilicus represents a congenital weakness in the abdominal wall, since there is a gap between the left and right straight abdominal muscles, which is only filled by the fascia of the oblique abdominal muscles, which is made of connective tissue. In newborns, the cause of an umbilical hernia is that the abdominal wall is often not yet fully developed. In adulthood, increased stress on the abdominal wall can lead to the development of an umbilical hernia. These include, for example:
- Sports
- Lifting heavy weights
- Overweight
- Pregnancy (
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