Department of Surgery
Highland Hospital Surgery
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Most Common Procedures
Umbilical Hernia Repair
An umbilical hernia occurs mostly in infants and is usually a result of incomplete closure of abdominal wall tissue around the umbilicus (belly button). It generally appears as a soft swelling beneath the skin that often protrudes when the baby is upright, crying or straining. Umbilical hernias are usually painless.
Small umbilical hernias (less than 1 cm) will usually close on their own without treatment by age 4. If it does not close on its own, surgery may be necessary.
To surgically repair an umbilical hernia, the patient is usually put under general anastesia, but small hernias may be repaired with local anesthesia. An incision is made under the belly button, and the hernia sac is identified and separated from the surrounding tissues and pushed back inside the abdominal cavity. If the hernia is very small, it may be closed with sutures, and if it is larger the area is reinforced with a synthetic 'mesh' material which is secured into position.