Complications of umbilical hernia before and after surgery

Even during the period of intrauterine development, prerequisites for various diseases appear, including umbilical hernia. This disease can be congenital and acquired, but in each case, the constitution of the body, the condition of the musculoskeletal system and heredity matter.

An umbilical hernia in women occurs mainly during pregnancy, due to an increased load on the muscles of the abdominal wall; in men, this pathology is more often associated with hard physical work. This deviation is dangerous for its severe complications that affect organs such as the stomach, intestines, omentum, bladder. An umbilical hernia needs to be treated, and the only effective method is surgery.

An umbilical hernia is an exit of the abdominal organs through a weakened umbilical ring.

If you do not perform navel plastic surgery, there is a risk of inflammation with the death of certain parts of the organ, which will also have to be removed. Treatment of umbilical hernia in adults is surgical, but children under 5 years of age can still be prescribed conservative therapy when the formation is small and not complicated by gastrointestinal pathologies. To understand why an umbilical hernia is dangerous, it is important to understand the mechanism and consequences of its development.

How does an umbilical hernia occur?

An umbilical hernia in women, men and children has a similar mechanism of development. During an increase in intra-abdominal pressure, the movable organs pass through pathologically enlarged muscle openings and bulge in the umbilical ring.

What can cause an umbilical hernia in adults:

• genetic predisposition - the risk of pathology is higher if the parents suffered from this disease or have connective tissue abnormalities;
• an increase in intra-abdominal pressure is the main factor in the disease that is present in everyone’s life, because during a cough, with straining and tension of the muscles, the pressure inside the peritoneum increases, but if this is combined with muscle weakness, there is a possibility of protrusion of organs through the umbilical ring;
• weakness of the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall - this factor can be congenital and acquired in nature, muscle tissue wears out with age, loses elasticity, and injuries and operations will contribute to its weakness;
• excess weight and a sedentary lifestyle - in combination, these factors contribute to the appearance of many pathologies, and an umbilical hernia is not the most dangerous among them;
• period of gestation, difficult childbirth, second pregnancy.

Symptoms of the disease

An uncomplicated umbilical hernia in a child can be recognized by the bulging of the umbilical cord, which has not yet fully healed, in adults there is also a bulge of the navel. Symptoms differ depending on the form of the disease, age and characteristics of the patient.

With varying degrees of severity, the following symptoms may disturb:

• soreness after eating and during straining;
• significant protrusion of the navel;
• the bulge disappears in the supine position;
• rumbling in the abdomen when pressing on the navel.

At an early stage, this disease does not give any alarming symptoms, but what is dangerous about an umbilical hernia in adults is the risk of sudden infringement.

A complication can happen at any time, as evidenced by pain, inability to set the navel and nausea. In addition to these manifestations, many other symptoms appear, but they will differ, depending on the affected organ and the type of ongoing pathological process.

Types of hernias of the umbilical ring

The clinic and possible consequences largely depend on the form of the umbilical hernia:

1. Free or adjustable . This is a type of hernia in which the organs move freely from the umbilical ring to the abdominal cavity, that is, to their anatomical place. At this stage, the pathology does not threaten with serious complications, the contents of the hernial sac do not suffer.
2. Irreducible . This form of the disease will already be dangerous, it is characterized by the inability to correct the protrusion. Without treatment, the adhesive process begins, the organs fuse with the hernial ring. At any time, infringement can occur, which is accompanied by ischemia, dysfunction of organs and their necrosis.
3. Congenital . It appears from birth with the same frequency in boys and girls. This form of the disease does not always require surgery, the hernia resolves on its own, but parents need to make a lot of efforts for this and take every doctor's prescription and recommendations responsibly.
4. Acquired . It occurs in adults against the background of increased intra-abdominal pressure and muscle weakness. Pathology often develops after abdominal surgery.

Why is this pathology dangerous?

The most common complication of a hernia is its incarceration. This is a condition in which organs are clamped in the area of ​​​​the hernial orifice or sac. Compression leads to impaired circulation, resulting in necrosis. A pinched umbilical hernia in men and women is manifested by severe pain, intoxication of the body, there are all signs of an inflammatory process . But infringement is not the only severe consequence.

Complicated umbilical hernia can be identified by the following manifestations:

• acute pain in the abdomen;
• an increase in the volume of the abdominal cavity;
• hardness of the anterior abdominal wall;
• a sharp deterioration in well-being;
• nausea and vomiting (possible bleeding);
• lack of stool, bloating;
• inability to correct the protrusion;
• fever, lack of appetite, pallor.

The protrusion of the umbilical ring can result in peritonitis, when the organ ruptures and its contents enter the abdominal space. The risk of complications is higher when the pathology is ignored, when the patient continues to do physical work without a special bandage, does not go to the doctor and does not follow a diet.

But, is a hernia dangerous if all preventive measures are followed? Yes, every surgeon warns that such a disease requires surgery, and conservative methods do not give any guarantee.

Indications for surgery

Surgical treatment will be prescribed immediately when symptoms of strangulation appear and for any other signs of a complicated hernia. The operation is needed to release the clamped organs in order to maintain their normal functioning.

With an umbilical hernia, plastic is performed with the tension of one's own tissues or the installation of a mesh implant.

Tension plastic involves creating access to the hernia by dissecting the skin and aponeurosis, returning the organs to their place and suturing the defect with the patient's own tissues. Tension-free plasty differs in the way the muscles are strengthened; instead of natural tissues, a mesh is used, which is fixed in the area of ​​the hernia gate and prevents the organs from coming out.

Postoperative complications

After hernioplasty, there is a risk of internal bleeding. This is more often associated with a wide scar when performing an operation for a giant hernia. This condition is not life-threatening, it occurs in the early period of rehabilitation and is eliminated in time by the doctor. Urgent surgery for a complicated hernia can exacerbate latent infection of the abdominal cavity, which leads to suppuration of the wound and increases the risk of re-protrusion of the organs.

After the operation, the following complications may occur:

• soreness in the area of ​​the postoperative wound;
• skin numbness, swelling, severe redness and pulsation;
• inflammation and suppuration of the wound;
• bleeding, rupture.

A recurrence of an umbilical hernia may result from a violation of the recovery schedule after surgery. Refusal of the diet, bandage, bed rest are factors in the occurrence of re-protrusion and postoperative hernia of another localization. Late complications may appear months or even years after hernia repair. These include relapse, inflammation, ventral hernia.

How to prevent the consequences

Measures to prevent complications after removal of an umbilical hernia:

• adequate preparation for herniotomy, rehabilitation of inflammatory processes;
• the use of areactive implants and suture materials;
• taking antibacterial and anti-inflammatory drugs;
• monitoring of postoperative recovery using ultrasound.

An umbilical hernia is dangerous, therefore it is important to pay attention to changes, taking into account the slightest deviations that may indicate the development of pathology and its complication.