Umbilical hernia repair (child)

Your child should no longer have the hernia. Surgery should prevent your child from having any of the serious complications that a hernia can cause in adult life, and allow them to return to normal activities.

In children, it is unusual for an umbilical hernia to cause serious problems such as the bowel getting stuck in the hernia. So it is safe, in children, to see if the hernia will close without surgery.

If your child is over 3 years old and they still have an umbilical hernia, the hernia is unlikely to close.

Occasionally, the hernia can get larger with time. The hernia can also be dangerous when your child becomes in an adult because the intestines or other structures within the abdomen can get trapped and have their blood supply cut off (strangulated hernia).

The symptoms that may suggest a strangulated hernia are:

• severe pain
• a hernia that will not disappear when your child lies down
• vomiting

If your child has any of these symptoms you must call the healthcare team immediately as your child may need an urgent procedure.

Although umbilical hernias hardly ever cause these complications in childhood, they are more likely to do so in adulthood.

The operation is performed under a general anaesthetic and usually takes about an hour.

Your surgeon will make a small cut around the upper or lower half of the umbilicus and close the opening in the tough layer of the abdominal wall with strong stitches.

Your child should try to maintain a healthy weight. They will have a higher risk of developing complications if they are overweight.

The healthcare team are trained to reduce the risk of complications.

Any risk rates given are taken from studies of people who have had this procedure. Your doctor may be able to tell you if the risk of a complication is higher or lower for your child.

Possible complications of this procedure are shown below. Some can be serious and may even cause death.

General complications of any procedure

• Bleeding during or after the procedure.
• Infection of the surgical site (wound).
• Allergic reaction to the equipment, materials or medication.

Specific complications of this procedure

• Developing a lump under the wound caused by stitches, or a collection of blood (haematoma) or fluid (seroma).
• Injury to structures within the hernia that come from the abdomen.
• Unsightly appearance, as the skin of the umbilicus may continue to stick out.
• The problem coming back. Your child may need another procedure to fix it.

Consequences of this procedure

• pain
• unsightly scarring of the skin

They should be able to go home the same day.

Your child should be able to return to school after a week and can return to normal activities as soon as they feel comfortable.

Most children make a full recovery.

An umbilical hernia is a common condition. If your child is over 3 years old, surgery is recommended to prevent serious complications that can happen in adult life.