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Bringing you the best health advice for your family

NHS Choices - How umbilical hernia repair is carried out

(11/11/2013)

Umbilical hernia repair is a fairly quick and simple operation. It usually takes about 20-30 minutes and you or your child will usually be able to go home on the same day.

However, some people stay in hospital overnight if they have other medical problems or if they live alone.

Before the operation

The hospital will send you instructions about when you or your child needs to stop eating and drinking before the operation.

At the hospital, you will meet the nurse, anaesthetist (specialist who will put you or your child to sleep), and surgeon.

In most cases, the operation is carried out under general anaesthetic. This means you or your child will be asleep during the procedure and will not experience any pain as it's carried out.

If general anaesthetic is used, this will usually be inhaled as a gas or injected into the back of the hand.

Local anaesthetic, where the area being operated on is numbed but you remain awake, is occasionally used instead of general anaesthetic. This will usually only be considered in adults who have a small hernia and are not in good enough health to have a general anaesthetic.

During the operation

During umbilical hernia repair, the surgeon makes a small cut of about 2–3cm at the base of the belly button, and pushes the fatty lump or loop of bowel back into the abdomen (tummy).

The muscle layers at the weak spot in the abdominal wall, where the hernia came through, are stitched together to strengthen them. In some cases, a special mesh patch may be placed in the abdominal wall to strengthen the area if the hernia was particularly large.

The wound on the surface of the skin is closed with dissolvable stitches or special surgical glue. Sometimes, a pressure dressing is applied, which usually stays on for four to five days.

After the operation

Although the operation only takes up to 30 minutes, you or your child will be away from the ward for around an hour.

If your child has had surgery, you will be taken to the recovery room as soon as they wake up, so you can be with them on their way back to the ward.

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