An umbilical hernia in women is a weakness in the abdominal wall. Some of its contents exit through the navel due to increased pressure in the abdomen, causing symptoms including pain. The hernia is treated surgically.
Umbilical hernia in women is a relatively common condition in newborns, especially in the case of twin pregnancies and multiple births, as excessive pressure occurs on the muscles of the abdominal wall and weakens them.
This weakness leads to the exit of the fatty tissue behind the wall and its confinement. In some cases, the intestine may come out, leading to severe symptoms in women that require urgent surgical intervention. Continue with us in this article to learn more about the signs and how to treat umbilical hernias in women.
Introduction to umbilical hernia in women
Umbilical hernia in women is the occurrence of weakness in the muscles of their abdominal wall and the exit of their contents from fatty tissue or the lumen of the intestine through an opening formed in this wall between its incoherent muscles.
An umbilical hernia is more common in women than men if it occurs in adults (the most common occurrence of an umbilical hernia is in newborns).
Causes of umbilical hernia in women
Among the most important causes of umbilical hernia in adults are the following:
- Excess weight: cases of excess obesity and the elevation of BMI index for a person over 30 are reasons for an umbilical hernia.
- Previous surgeries on the abdomen: The site of surgical scars is weaker than the rest of the skin, which makes it more likely to herniate.
- A severe, chronic cough leads to a rise in abdominal pressure in the patient, causing an umbilical hernia.
- Multiple pregnancies: Pregnancy makes a woman's abdominal wall weak, leading to an umbilical hernia in women (umbilical hernia of pregnant women or pregnancy hernia).
- Twin pregnancies: A twin pregnancy causes a severe increase in the size of the uterus in the pregnant woman, and thus enlarges her abdomen and weakens the muscles that maintain the integrity of the abdominal wall. This increases the incidence of umbilical hernia in women.
- Abdominal ascites: It is a severe accumulation of fluids in the abdominal cavity due to liver diseases such as cirrhosis of the liver, which results in high pressure inside the abdomen, as it is one of the causes of umbilical hernia.
- Lifting heavy weights: may also lead, in some cases, to a hernia (hole or umbilical hole).
Symptoms of umbilical hernia in women
Symptoms of umbilical hernia relate to the size of the hernia, the contents of the hernia, and the presence or absence of strangulation of the contents of the hernia (which in uncomplicated cases is fatty tissue only, but in severe cases, the intestine may herniate, leading to symptoms that require immediate treatment in children and adults alike).
In the event of herniation of the adipose tissue only and the interruption of its blood supply, the symptoms of umbilical hernia will appear in women in the form of:
- Pain at the hernia site
- A very small cystic bulge at the navel
In severe cases, when the intestine herniates in an umbilical hernia, we may notice gastrointestinal symptoms such as:
- Constipation
- vomiting
In the most severe cases, when the intestine is strangulated in the umbilical hernia and the blood supply is interrupted, symptoms of intestinal infarction will occur (very severe pain in the place of the hernia), which is an emergency condition that requires immediate intervention and treatment to release the contents of the hernia and restore its blood supply as soon as possible.
Complications of umbilical hernia in adults
One of the most critical complications of umbilical hernia in women, in particular, and adults, in general, is the infarction of the intestine confined to the neck of the hernia, which, if untreated, may lead to serious, life-threatening infections in the abdominal cavity.
In the event of complications, the patient experiences severe pain at the site of the hernia with a high fever (accompanied by nausea and vomiting sometimes) and a change in the color of the cystic bulge at the site of the navel. If these symptoms appear, it is a life-threatening condition, and emergency intervention must occur immediately.
As a result, prompt surgical intervention is recommended for all hernias that contain the loop of the intestine for fear of developing a blood supply lack to it and to avoid these complications.
Diagnosis of umbilical hernia in adults
The diagnosis of umbilical hernia depends mainly on the clinical examination in the clinic, where it is noted during the inspection that there is a cystic bulge (small or large swelling) in or around the navel and also determines the contents of this hernia (fatty tissue or intestinal loops).
If the diagnosis is not possible, the doctor may use the echocardiogram to clarify the contents of the umbilical hernia. Some blood and x-ray tests may be requested to rule out other pathological conditions mixed with an umbilical hernia.
Treatment of umbilical hernia in women in Turkey
The treatment of umbilical hernia in adult women or men differs from the treatment of umbilical hernia in children (due to the different causes and severity of hernia symptoms), where we may resort to the conservative option for children sometimes (i.e., treatment of umbilical hernia in children without surgery). Still, treating umbilical hernia in adults requires surgery to avoid life-threatening hernia complications.
Surgery indications for the treatment of umbilical hernia
The hernia may be left for observation and not resort to surgery if the hernia is secondary and minor. Still, urgent surgical intervention is required in the event of any of the following symptoms:
- Hernia swelling becomes painful
- Exceeding 1 cm in diameter
- The occurrence of strangulation and cutting off the blood supply to the intestinal loop confined to the hernia
Umbilical hernia surgery in women
An umbilical hernia can be treated surgically, either with open or laparoscopic surgery, depending on the surgeon's experience and the availability of appropriate equipment in the hospital.
The surgery takes place under general anesthesia and takes 30 minutes, during which the surgeon returns the contents of the umbilical hernia to its location, then supports and strengthens the muscles of the abdominal wall by placing a net behind the hernia site and tightening its closure by placing beads to enable it and prevent recurrence of the umbilical hernia.
Suppose the surgical intervention is delayed and the intestinal loop confined to the hernia dies. In that case, the surgical consultant treats the issue by removing this piece and connecting the two ends of the healthy intestine to restore the continuity of the intestinal tube.
Post umbilical hernia operation in women
In healthy, uncomplicated cases of umbilical hernia, the patient often returns home on the same day of surgery after the effect of anesthesia is gone, where he is given a set of recommendations that must be followed.
The most important of these recommendations is to avoid physical exertion or any work that raises the pressure inside the abdomen or contracts its muscles for a period ranging from several days to three weeks.
The patient may suffer from some pain at the site of the surgical incision after the operation for a short period, which is managed with painkillers and wearing loose clothes until the site of the umbilical hernia operation in women heals.
You should see a doctor after surgery if you notice symptoms at the surgical site, such as:
- Infection at the wound site
- Fever
- Nausea and vomiting
- Hernia relapse
Women suffer from an umbilical hernia due to frequent pregnancies. Still, this condition is not limited to them, as men may also suffer from an umbilical hernia, often caused by a liver disease such as cirrhosis of the liver. This is in chronic alcoholics where it occurs to them fibrosis Then cirrhosis leads to the accumulation of fluids and ascites in the abdomen, which leads to umbilical hernia in adults.
Umbilical hernia in women is treated with surgery to avoid complications of strangulation of the contents of the hernia and interruption of its blood supply. The recovery from the umbilical hernia operation takes place within a short period, and the patient returns to his everyday life quickly within less than a month.
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