Think I have a Hernia

[Cuttinedge]

On August 14, 2015 at 10:44 AM, Bronn said:

I'm sitting here with an umbilical hernia as I type this... I've known about it since last December... It is to the lower right of my belly button, but I can feel the protrusion (and pop it back in) inside my belly button...

Some days it aches a bit, and I definitely pay attention to it when I am doing heavy lifting, etc. but as long as it doesn't get strangulated I'm probably not going to have surgery on it for a long time...

I'd definitely have a doctor look at it... But from my readings on them, people live with hernias of all types for a long time without getting them repaired... But it does sound like it can turn into a medical emergency pretty rapidly if it ever gets strangulated.

Just had my unbillical cord hernia fixed yesterday. They did it  arthoscopically. 2 holes. No stitches or staples.  Some kind of tape on holes. 

I got to say the drugs are good.  And you need them sore as hell. You don't realize how much you use your stomach muscles until you have this done. Hurts to do anything. 

[celling]

Just my two cents.  I'm a board certified general surgeon and currently in training for heart surgery in Houston.  You have what sounds like an inguinal hernia.  They can either be congenital (indirect inguinal hernia) or acquired (direct inguinal hernia).  The standard treatment is surgery by a general surgeon.  If you don't get it surgically repaired, then you risk having a portion of the intestine getting stuck in it which could require a larger surgery.

As for getting it done open vs laparoscopic, I'd suggest the open route.  The incision is a little larger, but there is less dissection needed, less chance of bleeding, less chance of long term pain from nerve entrapment, etc.  

Hope that helps.