Incarcerated umbilical hernia: symptoms, signs, treatment, surgery

Causes of hernia

The cause of a hernia is weakness of the abdominal wall, which is not able to compensate for the increase in intra-abdominal pressure (for example, during heavy lifting, childbirth, defecation, strained cough, etc.). Defects in the abdominal wall resulting from surgery or injury can also lead to the formation of a hernia. The likelihood of a hernia increases with age-related thinning of muscle tissue and loss of elasticity. Congenital defects and hereditary predisposition matter.

Rehabilitation after surgery

The recovery period can last 1-1.5 months. All this time you need to wear a special bandage.

• After the operation, the patient is under the supervision of a doctor. You can't get up during the first hours. The pain is relieved with an anesthetic drug, and an antibiotic is also prescribed.
• If abdominal surgery was performed, you cannot get up for two days.
• In the first week, regular dressings are performed.
• For two weeks, any physical activity, even light, is excluded. Even a cough can negatively affect the condition of the seam.
• You should start eating with liquid food, then steamed meat and fish, cereals, fruits and vegetables are introduced into the diet.
• After complete formation of the postoperative scar, exercise therapy is recommended to strengthen the back, abdomen, and thighs. Exercises are selected by the attending physician. Classes are held with a bandage on the stomach.

Subsequently, you should not lift weights or engage in intense sports. Nordic walking, walking, and light jogging are useful.

Types of abdominal hernias

Depending on the location, there are:

Inguinal hernia

An inguinal hernia is the most common type of abdominal hernia. It is a pathological protrusion of the intestine or greater omentum into the cavity of the inguinal canal. In men, inguinal hernia occurs 5 times more often than in women, which is explained by the peculiarities of the anatomical structure of the groin area in both sexes. In men, the spermatic cord is located in the inguinal canal; in women, the round ligament of the uterus is located.

An inguinal hernia, if it is not strangulated, usually does not cause pain. The only sign of such a hernia is a protrusion in the lower abdomen. If you cough and put your hands on the hernia, you can feel the shock.

Femoral hernia

A femoral hernia is a protrusion of internal organs through the femoral canal.
Normally, the femoral canal does not exist, there is only a femoral ring filled with fatty tissue, loose enough to make this place vulnerable to protrusion of the hernial sac. Since women tend to have larger pelvises, femoral hernias are 4 times more common in them than in men. A femoral hernia goes through several stages in its development - initial, canal (when the protrusion has already led to the creation of the femoral canal, but the hernia has not yet penetrated the skin and has not become noticeable), complete. In the first two stages, a symptom of hernia formation is pain in the groin and upper thigh, which intensifies with coughing, straining and long walking. At the last stage, a characteristic swelling the size of a walnut or larger appears in the area of ​​the femoral-inguinal flexion.

Umbilical hernias

The navel is the place where the umbilical cord falls off, connecting the baby to the mother’s body. The muscles around the navel form an umbilical ring, which should contract fairly quickly. However, the umbilical ring remains a “weak” anatomical formation and protrusion of internal organs - the intestines or the greater omentum - can occur through it.

In newborns, weakness of the abdominal wall muscles quite often leads to the formation of an umbilical hernia (detected in 20% of infants). Sometimes such a hernia is noticeable only when the baby is upright or when he strains or screams. In most cases, an umbilical hernia in newborns goes away on its own, as the muscles of the abdominal wall strengthen. However, observation by a surgeon is mandatory. The hernia should not increase or become strangulated. A massage may be prescribed.

In some cases, umbilical hernia occurs in adults. Causes: weakness of the abdominal wall, increased intra-abdominal pressure. Provoking factors are pregnancy, obesity, chronic constipation, etc. This hernia looks like a ball in the navel area. Sometimes it only appears when straining or coughing. If the hernia is large, pain may occur that intensifies after eating or during physical activity.

Hernia of the white line of the abdomen

The linea alba is a plate formed by intertwined tendons and separating the rectus abdominis muscles. It is called white because of the color of the tissue (it has few blood vessels). A white line runs down the middle of the abdomen - from the rib cage (xiphoid process of the sternum) through the navel to the pubis. Normally, its width is no more than 3 cm. But it can increase if the rectus muscles begin to diverge (for example, under the influence of high intra-abdominal pressure). This condition is called diastasis recti. In this case, hernias may form along the white line - above the navel (supra-umbilical hernia), in the area of ​​the umbilical ring (peri-umbilical) or below the navel (sub-umbilical).

Physiotherapy

To avoid having to remove the hernia through surgery in the future, you should pay attention to physical activity. It is thanks to them that it is possible to strengthen muscles and improve blood circulation.

The load is determined individually, but even for men it should be moderate. In addition, it is recommended not to start exercising on your own, but to visit a physiotherapy office and find out whether it is possible to cure a hernia using only exercise therapy.

The following exercises have a positive effect on the condition of patients with this disease.

To obtain a pronounced effect, all possible methods should be used. Only a combination of traditional medicine with massage, gymnastics and wearing a bandage will give a pronounced and, most importantly, lasting result.

The umbilical hernia will be discussed in the video:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=embed/Vf9t7whhYng

Methods for diagnosing hernia

Diagnosis of a hernia is carried out during examination of the patient. In this case, the doctor uses the methods of palpation (palpation), percussion (tapping) and auscultation (listening to the natural sounds of the body).

To obtain a more complete picture, instrumental studies are performed:

Radiography

Radiography of a hernia allows one to obtain additional information about the presence of adhesions, parietal strangulation of the hernia and partial intestinal obstruction.

More information about the diagnostic method

Ultrasound examinations

Ultrasound makes it possible to clarify the location of the hernia, the shape and size of the hernial orifice, assess the condition of the surrounding tissues (this allows you to choose the most effective technique for reducing the hernia), and determine the contents of the cavity of the hernial sac.

More information about the diagnostic method

Computed tomography (CT)

Computed tomography for hernia is used if ultrasound data is insufficient.

More information about the diagnostic method

Sign up for diagnostics To accurately diagnose the disease, make an appointment with specialists from the Family Doctor network.

What to do?

If suspicious symptoms appear and there is a sharp deterioration in the condition, you should immediately call an ambulance. Before the doctors arrive:

• it is necessary to ensure complete rest for the patient;
• It is forbidden to give a person food or water; if you are thirsty, you can only wet your lips with a damp cloth;
• You should not give painkillers or other medications so as not to blur the clinical picture;
• It is strictly forbidden to try to straighten the pinched tissues yourself;
• Do not use heating pads or warm compresses to relieve pain.

Hernia treatment methods

You can’t delay treating a hernia. If signs of a hernia are detected, you should immediately consult a surgeon.

The only way to treat a hernia is surgery. This type of operation is called hernioplasty.

.
Terms such as hernia repair
and
hernia removal
. But hernioplasty is a more correct name, since in most cases the hernia is not removed, but reduced.

Hernia removal – laparoscopic hernioplasty

The hernial contents are immersed through the hernial orifice back into the abdominal cavity, after which plastic surgery of the hernial orifice is performed. At this stage, the problem of preventing the re-formation of a hernia is solved. The area of ​​the hernial orifice is strengthened either by the body’s own tissues or by implants (polymer meshes). Within a month, the mesh grows into body tissues. Such a frame reliably holds the organs in place. When using your own tissues, relapses may occur (in 25% of cases).

At Family Doctor, hernia removal (hernioplasty) is performed laparoscopically - through small punctures in the abdominal wall, which allows for faster healing and avoidance of conspicuous scars. Laparoscopic hernioplasty is performed in a surgical hospital, under local or spinal anesthesia. The use of polymer implants almost completely eliminates the possibility of re-formation of a hernia.

More information about the treatment method

Make an appointment Do not self-medicate. Contact our specialists who will correctly diagnose and prescribe treatment.

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Complications

• If there is a hernia, it can be strangulated at any time. The organ located in the hernial sac becomes inflamed, blood circulation is disrupted, tissue necrosis and peritonitis develop. This complication is caused by lifting heavy objects, impaired bowel function, and physical activity (even small ones). Infringement can occur if the patient sneezes, coughs, or laughs. As a result, sharp, unbearable pain appears, the temperature of the hernial sac rises, and it becomes hard. Often accompanying symptoms are fever, vomiting, and headache. In this case, the patient needs urgent surgery.
• Inflammation of the internal organs located in the hernial sac. In this case, the person feels pain, the protrusion turns red, swells, and the overall body temperature rises. The patient's condition becomes worse.
• Intestinal obstruction. Occurs when feces clog the part of the intestine that is located in the hernial sac. Symptoms are similar to strangulation - nausea, constipation, vomiting, severe pain.

Umbilical hernia - surgery

Specialists perform operations to remove umbilical hernia in St. Petersburg. Affordable prices and professional surgeons.