Recovery Time For Umbilical Hernia Surgery - 3 Recovery Milestones

An umbilical hernia occurs when a sac of internal tissues or organs pokes through a weakness in the wall of your stomach, in the area of your belly button. An umbilical hernia may or may not be painful. But, this type of hernia is usually visible from the outside of the body to both the patient and other people who may be observing it.

The umbilical hernia can occur for any number of reasons. One common reason is simply that this area of the body is naturally one of the weakest parts of the stomach muscle. Another common reason for the occurrence of this type of hernia is that in infants, this area of the body may not have fully fused during development. And, still another common reason is due to being overweight or pregnant, both of which situations can put undue pressure on this part of the body and cause a part of the contents of the body to push through.

In most adult cases, umbilical hernias are corrected by a physician using a surgical technique. The surgery involves the physician opening up a small incision on the outside of the body near the site of the hernia. The physician then pushes back inside the body the protruding tissues or organs, then seals the hernia with stitches and a synthetic mesh.

If you want to know more about recovery time for umbilical hernia surgery, here are 3 tips about the recovery time you can expect:

1. The first 2 days:

This is the most crucial time of your recovery after hernia surgery. You will find that, regardless of the nature of your hernia or how severe it was, you will need at least 2 days of more or less pure rest and relaxation to begin the recovery process. During this time, your movements should be very limited.

2. The first 2 weeks:

After 2 weeks of rest and healing, most people should be able to resume their normal activities after surgery.

3. The first 5-6 weeks:

However, if you are commonly involved in strenuous activities - either when at work or at play - you may need to wait at least 5-6 weeks or longer for a full recovery.

Once you have waited the recommended period of time after your hernia surgery, you should be able to resume your previous activities. It is wise to recognize that there are different stages of healing. Depending upon the activities you enjoy doing, your full recovery time after this type of surgery could be longer or shorter than someone else's might be.

View the original article here

Surgical Support For An Umbilical Hernia - 5 Steps to Repair

If you or someone you care about has a hernia, you probably now have a desire to understand as much as possible about what a hernia is, how it is treated, and how to recover from hernia surgery.

In general, a hernia is simply the development of a weakness in a major muscle wall of the torso, such as the groin or abdomen. The weakness occurs at those natural seams that "sew" the various muscle sections of our bodies together. When a hernia occurs, the weakness allows a gap to form which lets internal tissues and/or organs to "pop out" through that muscle wall.

A hernia can be painful, but it does not have to be. Many types of hernias do not require immediate medical treatment, although if the protruding organs become "strangulated" - whereby the blood and oxygen supply is cut off from the tissue - then the situation should be taken very seriously and will require immediate surgical attention.

Most doctors agree that even non-strangulated hernias require eventual medical attention. Most hernias are corrected through surgery.

What Is An Umbilical Hernia?

There are many types of hernias. One common variety is the umbilical hernia. This type involves a weakness in the abdominal cavity that allows a sac to form in the inner lining of the belly.

This type of hernia is fairly common, and the condition can occur in newborns, children or adults. These hernias are most commonly found in overweight people and in women who have recently been pregnant.

If left untreated, umbilical hernias will often get larger over time. In the case of a baby with an umbilical hernia, crying can cause it to bulge out more due to the pressure that it causes.

Surgical Support for an Umbilical Hernia - 5 Steps to Repair

Umbilical hernias that are left untreated can pose danger to the patient. For example, if the protruding tissue becomes incarcerated (or stuck), it could result in the blood and oxygen supply being cut off to this area (strangulation).

In the case of infants, umbilical hernias are not usually treated with surgery; the hernia usually shrinks and closes on its own by the time the child reaches age 3. However, in the case of adults who umbilical hernia becomes painful, bulging or starts to turn dark blue, surgery is often required.

Here are the 5 major steps that most surgeons take when correcting an umbilical hernia:

1. The procedure starts with general anesthesia:

Of course, as with any major surgery, general anesthesia is administered to the patient. For a small hernia, this could be a spinal or an epidural block. As a result, the patient feels no pain during the surgery.

2. Surgeon makes a surgical cut in belly button:

The surgeon then makes a cut in the belly button. The incision is used as a way to access the hernia itself from the outside.

3. Tissues are pushed back inside the body cavity:

Next, the protruding tissues or organs are pushed back inside of the body. If the surgery is done correctly, the tissues should never protrude through this area again.

4. Strong stitches used to repair the incision area:

The stitches are made to withstand the intense pressure being exerted on the area.

5. Mesh may be laid over weak area:

Finally, a synthetic mesh that will not be rejected by the body is inserted, as well. The mesh helps reinforce the strength of the affected area for the rest of the patient's life.

If you or someone you know has gone through umbilical hernia surgery, your next step is to learn how to take care so as to speed along the recovery process.

View the original article here