They result from a defect or opening in the abdominal wall muscle directly beneath the umbilicus. As a result, the contents of the abdomen, including possibly the intestine, will protrude through this opening or defect creating a bulge at the umbilicus or navel. Generally, with time, these hernias enlarge, and may become problematic and painful. If intestine becomes trapped within the hernia, an emergency situation exists and urgent surgery is needed. Through a very small incision, generally just below the umbilicus, the abdominal contents are returned to there normal position, and the defect or opening securely closed.
Recurrence is extremely extremely rare.
This also permits a rapid return to work and recreational activity as well. We fully feel that our technique is not only the safest procedure available, but also associated with the least post-operative discomfort, most rapid return to normal activity and is asociated with the lowest rate of recurrence when compared to the other techniques. We evaluate fully the anatomy of the hernia at the time of surgery. We strongly feel that a single operatve technique is not necessarily suited for all hernias, but that hernias vary significantly from patient to patient. Hernia Surgery is one of the most common surgical procedures over 900,000 hernia repairs being performed annually.