2.1 Rehabilitation of the patient after surgery to remove an umbilical hernia

After surgery to remove an umbilical hernia, there comes a time that doctors call rehabilitation of the body. The patient will have to spend the first time in the hospital, under the strict supervision of doctors, in case complications arise. If there are no signs of complications, then the time spent in the hospital will be 1-3 days.

Immediately after the operation, the patient is put on a special bandage. Its main task is to support the abdomen and navel area, weakened after surgery.

There have been cases in medicine when a patient is allowed to go home after 2-3 hours from the moment of surgery. This can happen if after the operation the patient feels well and the body has recovered normally after general anesthesia.

It is very important to go to the doctor regularly for check-ups after surgery. Also have regular check-ups with your doctor. If you do not adhere to this rule, then there will be a possibility of a recurrence of the hernia in the same place.

The likelihood of recurrence of an umbilical hernia largely depends on the method of surgery. Some methods have a minimal percentage of recurrence of the disease, for example: surgery using mesh materials.

After removal of an umbilical hernia

Rehabilitation after removal of an umbilical hernia takes place in several stages. Correct mode days after surgery will speed up the recovery of the body.

The patient should spend the first two to three days after surgery in bed rest, lying only on his back, so as not to cause complications. Since the body, after the operation, is not yet strong, excess physical activity can contribute to the divergence of the seams.

On the third or fourth day, a person may begin to roll over in bed and get up. It is important to understand that excess physical activity or overwork of the body can also cause complications. Therefore, it is best to support bed rest, with minor physical activity (for example, going to the toilet and back).

After the operation, the patient will have to visit the hospital for dressings for 7-10 days. After this period, the patient can carry out dressings himself; a nurse can teach this.

For more fast healing surgical site, the patient is prescribed painkillers, antibiotics and physiotherapy sessions.

In older people, after surgery, you may experience respiratory failure with tachycardia. This is a very bad sign that it is better to tell your doctor.

Nutrition during rehabilitation

After any operation, it is important to remember proper nutrition. No matter how easy the operation is, it should be remembered that this is an intervention in the human body and a violation of the integrity of the skin. This suggests that the body and internal organs need a calm regime to cope with stress and return to their normal state.

During recovery, your usual diet will have to change. It is necessary to completely eliminate spicy foods from your diet. They will be useful and natural for consumption. healthy foods, light porridges, soups. All this will soften the stool so that fecal matter leaves the body without difficulty. Under no circumstances should you be constipated!

The first two days since surgical intervention, the patient can only eat liquid food. Gradually, you can add more and more new foods to your diet so that your stomach gets used to normal food.

Complications:

1. strangulation of the umbilical hernia is a sudden compression of the hernial contents in the hernial orifice;

2. inflammation of the hernia - caused by inflammation in the organ located in the hernial sac;

3. coprostasis - stagnation feces in the large intestine.

Hernia can be treated well surgically. In the absence of treatment, the prognosis is unfavorable - the formation of an irreducible hernia.

After planned and emergency operations for hernias it is recommended to avoid physical activity. Therefore, patients who engage in heavy physical labor should be on sick leave at least 6 - 8 weeks. For recurrent hernias, this period increases by another 2 to 3 weeks. In the future, these patients should be transferred to work not related to heavy lifting for 2-3 months. Early discharge to work or unjustifiably short-term transfer to light work can lead to relapses of umbilical hernia.

Prevention of umbilical hernias is of great importance, which should be carried out from the first days of life. Immediately after birth and several times during the first year of life, the child is examined pediatric surgeon, identifying various surgical diseases, including umbilical hernias. To prevent hernias, a child should not be swaddled tightly and thrown up - this increases intra-abdominal pressure and contributes to the formation of hernias. In addition, insufficient or improper nutrition of the child, poor navel care, disorders gastrointestinal tract(constipation, diarrhea), cough and some other disorders also contribute to the occurrence of an umbilical hernia.

IN adolescence development of the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall promote physical education and sports. It is useful to swim, ride a bike, ski and skate.

Of particular importance is the prevention of umbilical hernias during pregnancy and postpartum period, which consists of wearing special prenatal and postnatal bandages. If a woman ignores this recommendation, she may develop weakness abdominal muscles, which contributes to the appearance of umbilical hernias.

Treatment of umbilical hernias is always surgical, so it is better to pay attention to their prevention in advance.

Prevention of umbilical hernia:

Wearing a bandage during pregnancy;

Proper nutrition;

Abdominal muscle training;

Normalization of weight.

To the most common and most effective ways protect against the possibility of an umbilical hernia formation include:

Wearing a bandage;

Umbilical patch for newborns;

Perform massage;

Exercises to prevent formation;

Stick to healthy image life;

Sports training.

It can be seen that many of these methods are not just a precautionary measure, but also have a positive effect on life in general. Prevention of umbilical hernia is very important, so each possible method should be considered in more detail.

The bandage is usually prescribed by the doctor himself. It is necessary if men are engaged in heavy physical labor. Thus, lifting weights increases the load on the abdominal cavity, and prolapse may occur. internal organs through the weakest part of the abdominal wall.

This can happen instantly - then a person will immediately notice a tumor-like formation in the navel area. It happens that a hernia develops gradually, then the prolapse will become larger with each load on the body.

It is important to adhere to this during exercise in the gym. It’s not for nothing that men who lift heavy weights wear special belts. It not only protects your back, but also reduces the risk of a hernia.

The bandage is also prescribed for pregnant women. It is better to wear it from the first months of pregnancy, when the tummy is just beginning to grow.

Also, such a belt is necessary in postoperative period, since it reduces the risk of recurrent hernia formation to almost a minimum.

Patch

A special navel patch is intended for newborns and infants. Even after the first examinations with a pediatrician, a predisposition to umbilical protrusion can be determined. In such cases, the doctor prescribes wearing such a patch.

It is attached to the baby's skin for several days. During this period, the patch cannot be removed even while swimming. It is made of a special material that does not crumble when exposed to water.

Such a device is needed in order to reduce the load on the navel when the baby pushes, cries, or screams. The bandage holds the navel and prevents a possible hernia from falling out through the opening of the umbilical ring, which in babies is weak from birth.

The doctor must attach it the first time.

Massage and exercise

Massage and exercises, like the prevention of umbilical hernia, are needed in order to strengthen the abdominal muscles. Therefore, massage and special gymnastics, first of all, can help small children and newborns.

All these manipulations can be demonstrated by an experienced doctor. Then parents have two options: either learn how to perform massage and gymnastics on their own, or hire a children’s massage therapist for these purposes.

First, the baby needs to be warmed up and massaged. After these manipulations, you can proceed to special exercises. They increase tone child's body and make muscles more elastic.

This is done in a certain sequence so that each subsequent muscle group is worked in turn.

As for adults, massage and gymnastics will not bring such obvious results, but they will not be superfluous. For adults the best prevention will adhere to healthy way life and exercise regularly.

Healthy lifestyle

Following a healthy lifestyle is beneficial for everyone. A person should monitor his diet, because it is known that the foods a person eats affect his health. In addition, increased body weight significantly increases the risk of umbilical hernia.

Large body weight makes muscles less elastic and creates additional stress on the body.

You should also stop smoking. It is not only harmful to health, but also provokes a chronic cough, which increases pressure on the abdominal wall.

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Surgery for umbilical hernia is a mandatory measure, and it is prescribed to everyone without exception. Removal is performed using tension or non-tension hernioplasty, and each case will have its own characteristics of the rehabilitation period. After surgery to remove an umbilical hernia, there is a risk of complications and relapse of the disease, so patients are prescribed a special regimen to minimize risks.

Excision of an umbilical hernia in adults is performed routinely. Before the operation, the body is sanitized, contraindications are excluded. In children under 6 years of age, attempts are still being made to reduce the navel without surgery, but in this case there is a high risk of a hernia appearing in adulthood due to high physical activity and pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract.

Rehabilitation after removal of an umbilical hernia includes such basic measures as wearing a bandage, physical therapy, preventing gastrointestinal pathologies, and avoiding high physical activity.

Complications after umbilical hernia surgery occur mainly in patients who ignore the rules of rehabilitation. But even more often, the consequences of hernia repair relate to the surgeon’s mistakes during preparation for the intervention and its implementation.

Rehabilitation after hernia removal

A week later, the patient’s sutures are removed, and after the scar has completely healed, various restorative procedures are prescribed. For young children and adults in the late period of rehabilitation, massage, therapeutic exercises, medications for pain relief and physiotherapeutic procedures as prescribed are indicated. After the suture is removed, a postoperative bandage is prescribed, in which you need to walk for several hours a day until the damaged muscle tissue is restored. This usually takes about two months, but this process is individual for each person.

The rehabilitation period can be shortened by following all doctor’s prescriptions, which include diet, reduction in physical activity, proper rest and limiting stressful situations.

An umbilical hernia also occurs after surgery, which is facilitated by poor healing of the scar, non-compliance with preventive measures and congenital abnormalities of connective tissue. Relapse of the disease is more often observed in patients who early refuse to wear a bandage, do not follow a therapeutic diet and put high physical stress on the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall.

In the early postoperative period, it is extremely important to eat properly. The diet is based on preventing intestinal pressure on the operated area. This can be achieved by excluding fixing and gas-forming foods from the diet.

A postoperative bandage is not put on the patient immediately, but only after the wound has healed, but in rare cases exceptions are made, which will depend on the choice of the attending physician.

In the early period after umbilical hernia surgery, the patient can move independently, but do this only in a supporting corset.

The patient is discharged on days 2-3 during laparoscopic surgery and on days 3-7 after open hernioplasty.

Features of recovery in the first weeks after surgery for umbilical hernia:

• After removal of a hernia, men are regularly examined by a urologist, because after surgery, problems with the genitourinary system may occur;
• diet after removal of an umbilical hernia is the same for women and men, she will be strict for the first days, and in case of complications - for weeks, then the food is diluted and supplemented;
• after hernia repair scarcan be removed by laser only after complete healing of the wound and tissue restoration;
• after surgery to simultaneously eliminate several gastrointestinal pathologies, the diet is selected individually, because it differs depending on the organ being operated on;
• therapeutic measures are prescribed exclusively by the attending physician and rehabilitologist, and at home you can only follow the instructions and use methods approved by a specialist;
• physical education and physical work are acceptable after the scar has formed, but at the same time, it is necessary to limit the load for another year, because the tissue healing process is long, and with incomplete recovery there is always a risk of relapse or the development of a postoperative hernia.

Possible complications after surgery

Suture dehiscence and the development of a ventral hernia are common, but not the only consequences of hernia repair. Complications after surgery arise due to mistakes by the patient, and more often by the surgeon.

What can happen after excision of an umbilical hernia:

• Eating food out of schedule contributes to constipation, which will become a factor in the appearance of postoperative hernia or recurrence of the umbilical;
• an early return to exercise will lead to suture failure and relapse;
• Umbilical band failure may end muscle separation and re-occurrence of pathology in the same place;
• Ignoring the need to visit a doctor for dressings and preventive examination threatens inflammation of the wound, its suppuration, which will aggravate the condition and delay the recovery of the body.

Massage and physiotherapy

In the postoperative period, massage is prescribed mainly to young children who have suffered a congenital umbilical hernia. A course of therapeutic massage is also recommended for adults to speed up wound healing by stimulating metabolic processes. The procedure can only be performed by a professional massage therapist who has familiarized himself with the history of the disease. At home, massage is permissible after the body has fully recovered.

Physiotherapy will be optional but helpful.

The patient may be prescribed medicinal electrophoresis, magnetic therapy, and current treatment. Of the non-traditional treatment methods, acupuncture, hirudotherapy, and apitherapy are safe after surgery.

Exercise therapy and bandage

Physical therapy will be a useful measure to prevent relapse of pathology in all patients without exception. Gymnastics are prescribed after the scar has healed and when the patient gets rid of pain. A prerequisite for starting classes will be the absence of an inflammatory process of any localization.

Exercises are performed at home. The complex is first selected with the doctor, then adjusted by the patient himself, depending on the sensations. It is acceptable to do simple gymnastic exercises aimed at relaxing and strengthening the muscles of the abdomen, back, and buttocks.

The movements performed should not cause pain or discomfort. If discomfort occurs, you should tell your doctor about it. A change in condition for the worse may indicate the occurrence of complications.

A postoperative bandage is prescribed for several weeks. You need to wear it to do everyday activities, go outside, that is, wear a belt during physical activity. The corset is removed at night and during rest. You need to wear it for as long as the doctor tells you. If you overuse it, it will lead to muscle weakness in the future.

How is an umbilical hernia repaired after surgery? This question, like many others, will be answered by a doctor. A umbilical hernia is a condition in which internal organs (such as the intestines) protrude beyond the anterior abdominal wall through a hole in the umbilicus. The disease manifests itself in the form of a protrusion in the navel area, which can increase or, on the contrary, become less noticeable when taking a horizontal position. Sometimes the formation can occupy a large area.

This complex disease is treated by a surgeon, and you should contact him as soon as discomfort appears. Symptoms of an umbilical hernia include the following:

• pain in the abdomen when coughing or exercising;
• presence of nausea;
• extended umbilical ring.

There are several ways to diagnose an umbilical hernia:

1. Get examined by a specialist.
2. Take an x-ray of the stomach and duodenum.
3. Do an ultrasound.
4. Undergo a gastroscopy procedure.
5. Perform a procedure such as herniography - an x-ray method that involves introducing a special contrast agent into the abdominal cavity, which allows you to examine the hernia.

Umbilical hernias can be of two types: congenital and acquired. Congenital can be detected immediately after the birth of the child. In the area of ​​the navel, where the umbilical cord was, there is a spherical protrusion with a wide base, which passes into the umbilical cord. If the baby cries a lot, the hernial protrusion increases. How different congenital or acquired hernias can be can be seen in the video that is shown to patients in a medical facility. How to treat an umbilical hernia? Typically, surgical treatment of a hernia is not performed before the age of five. They are trying to eliminate it with the help of massage and physical therapy. If nothing helps and the navel does not shrink, you have to resort to surgical intervention for the hernia.

Hernia surgery

Removal of an umbilical hernia in adults is performed only surgically; treatment is prescribed immediately, and strictly in a hospital setting.
The traditional type of plastic surgery (Sapezhko and Mayo method) has some disadvantages:

• the recovery period of the body can last quite a long time (heavy loads are prohibited for one year);
• there is a high risk that the formation will reappear in the same area after surgery.

It is practiced to remove a hernia using mesh implants, which can be installed in several ways. Advantages of the operation:

• recovery can take no more than one month, the operated patient can engage in physical activity and even sports;
• a small percentage of disease relapse - 1%;
• the operation can be performed under any type of anesthesia that has a long effect, not necessarily general.

The laparoscopic method for removing an abdominal hernia is one of the most gentle forms of surgery, since it can occur without incisions on the body, just a few punctures are enough. Rehabilitation is easy and quick, but this method has contraindications. These include:

• immunodeficiency conditions, including HIV,
• liver dysfunction,
• time of menstruation in women.

Often the operation is performed in combination with the placement of a mesh implant. Surgeries to remove an umbilical hernia in adults are carried out according to the following scheme. First, the patient is admitted to the hospital for examination and preparation for surgery. If the patient is admitted in an emergency, preparation for umbilical hernia surgery in adults is kept to a minimum.

Then the patient is given anesthesia (local or conduction; general anesthesia, as it is more complex, is used for repeated manifestations). If the formation is small, surgery for an umbilical hernia involves suturing the umbilical ring. If the formation is larger, it must be closed surgically. The resulting adhesions are dissected, which allows the internal organs to remain in the hernial sac. You can also do hernia prevention. Doctors usually recommend following some simple rules:

• training the abdominal muscles (this will keep them in good shape);
• proper nutrition that will help control body weight;
• during pregnancy it is necessary to wear an umbilical bandage;
• avoid heavy physical activity.

Why does an umbilical hernia appear? In babies, the cause of the appearance may be slow fusion of the umbilical ring. The adult population is more likely to develop an umbilical hernia after 40 years of age. This is especially true for pregnant women.

Predisposing factors include:

• connective tissue weakness;
• slow fusion of the umbilical ring;
• obesity;
• postoperative scars.

Risk factors that can lead to increased intra-abdominal pressure:

• frequent crying and screaming in infants;
• physical overstrain;
• constipation;
• pregnancy period;
• ascites;
• prolonged severe cough.

What are the contraindications?

Children under five years of age. There is a certain probability that the hernia will go away on its own along with the growth of the body. If it does not cause severe discomfort and does not create any complications, the operation is postponed for several years. After five years, boys are also not always recommended to have surgery right away. But girls need to have their hernia removed. This is due to the growth of the reproductive system.

Surgeries are not performed for active infections in the body because surgery carries a certain risk and complications are possible.

Diseases that are not curable. Since hernial tumor is not a dangerous disease, especially when it is in the early stages, terminally ill patients are not exposed to the risks associated with surgery.

Second half of pregnancy. Any operation is stressful for the body and, accordingly, a risk for both mother and baby. Therefore, it is better to avoid such situations during pregnancy. If the formation does not carry certain risks, surgical intervention is postponed until breastfeeding is stopped.

Contraindication is stroke or heart attack. In such cases, anesthesia is difficult for patients to tolerate, and therefore they are not exposed to such a risk.

Impairments in cardiovascular and pulmonary activity are also an obstacle to surgery.

Large formations in people over the age of seventy are removed extremely rarely. Surgical intervention is poorly tolerated by such patients.

Surgery to remove an umbilical hernia is contraindicated in patients with diabetes, as well as in severe renal failure, liver cirrhosis with complications, and varicose veins of the esophagus.

All materials on the site were prepared by specialists in the field of surgery, anatomy and specialized disciplines.
All recommendations are indicative in nature and are not applicable without consulting a doctor.

Abdominal hernia is an extremely common disease. According to statistics provided in 2010 by the Amur State Medical Academy, “More than 20 million operations are performed annually in the world, which is from 10 to 15% of all surgical interventions in general. Every 3-5 inhabitants of the Earth is a potential hernia carrier. The relevance and complexity of the problem lies in the fact that every 8-10 patients (on average 10-15% of patients) experience relapses of the disease.”

With an umbilical hernia, the internal organs (intestines, greater omentum - a section of connective tissue covering the intestinal loops) extend beyond the abdominal wall in the area of ​​the umbilical ring.

Conservative treatment methods are used only in childhood (up to 5 years). Surgery for umbilical hernia is the only effective treatment for the disease in adults and adolescents.

Indications for surgery

Emergency surgery to remove an umbilical hernia is performed in the following cases:

In other cases, a planned operation is performed in the absence of contraindications. It is prescribed taking into account the patient’s condition and needs. In some cases, the doctor may insist that it be carried out as soon as possible. Even if there is no rush, it is better not to delay and perform the operation at the first opportunity.

Contraindications

Surgery to remove an umbilical hernia is not performed in the following cases:

1. Children's age (up to 5 years). In infancy, there is a chance that the hernia will disappear on its own as the body grows. Therefore, if it does not cause serious concern and has no complications, the operation is not performed or is postponed for several years. Important! We are talking only about noncongenital hernias.
2. Infections in the active stage. The operation is a risk in this case, so it is performed after complete sanitation of the body.
3. Incurable diseases. A hernia is not a dangerous disease, especially in the early stages. However, its removal poses a certain risk, which there is no point in exposing terminally ill patients to.
4. Pregnancy in the second half. Any surgery is a stress for the body, which is best avoided by a pregnant woman. In the absence of serious health risks due to a hernia, surgery is postponed until the end of lactation or at least until the birth of the child.
5. Stroke and heart attack. Anesthesia in this state is difficult to tolerate, so patients are usually not exposed to such risks.
6. Disturbances in cardiovascular and pulmonary activity.
7. Giant hernias in people over 70 years of age. In this case, extensive surgical intervention is required, which is poorly tolerated by older people.
8. Liver cirrhosis with complications.
9. Varicose veins of the esophagus.
10. Diabetes due to lack of effect from insulin administration.
11. Severe renal failure.

Important! Each case is considered by a doctor individually. Only a specialist should decide whether the potential effect of the operation outweighs the risks for the patient or not.

Preparing for surgery

The patient must, within a month before planned surgery:

3 days before surgery you need to stop taking blood thinners. Before visiting a hospital or medical center, you must complete all hygiene procedures, it is advisable to shave your stomach and pubis (otherwise, this will be done by a nurse). In the morning you need to stop drinking and eating.

Types of surgery and progress

Principle of surgery

The operation can be performed under conduction (into a vein) or local anesthesia (the area around the navel is injected). This point is discussed separately with the doctor. With conduction anesthesia, painful sensations are excluded, but after the operation the patient feels worse, attention is impaired, and weakness is present. For recurrent disease or emergency surgery, general anesthesia using an intratracheal tube can be used.

During planned surgery, hospitalization usually occurs on the day of surgery or the day before. You will have to spend 3 to 5 days in the hospital. The main surgical techniques are described below.

Intraperitoneal Olshausen method

The technique is used for embryonic hernias. After the onset of anesthesia, the surgeon opens the hernial sac and returns all the contents back into the abdominal cavity. Sometimes there may be a liver in it, in which case an additional incision is made to reduce it.

If there are unresolved embryonic organs (intestinal duct, allantois) in the hernial sac of a newborn child, they are removed. The hernia membranes themselves are excised. The fabrics are sutured in layers.

Hernioplasty using Sapezhko, Lexer or Mayo methods

This is a traditional method of treating hernia in children over 5 years of age and adults. The various methods differ slightly in the location of the incision, the method of separating the hernial sac, and the placement of sutures. The choice is made based on the location and size of the protrusion.

After the onset of anesthesia, the surgeon makes an incision directly adjacent to the hernia. If it is small, then they try to preserve the navel for reasons of aesthetics of the patient’s appearance.

The surgeon peels off the hernial sac from the subcutaneous tissue. It is released, and the autopsy is performed in the cervical area (the actual opening from which the internal organs “fall out”). After this, the contents of the hernial sac (intestines, etc.) are “refilled” back into the body cavity. The neck is tied with silk threads. The hernial sac is removed. The fabrics are sutured in layers.

The recovery period is quite long and can reach one year. This technique is fraught with complications, the risk of which is higher than with minimally invasive interventions. Painful sensations persist for 2-3 months after surgery.

Surgery using mesh implants

The technique was put into practice about 30 years ago. It is carried out similarly to the previous method: during a planned operation, the contents of the hernia are immersed back into the abdominal cavity; during emergency intervention and detection of foci of necrosis, it is removed.

The main difference is a mesh implant is sewn into the tissue. It relieves the body cavity of excess pressure and prevents the development of relapses. The mesh gradually becomes overgrown with its own tissues; it does not cause an immune response and does not decompose, since it consists of chemically inert, biocompatible materials.

The mesh endoprosthesis is fixed using special non-absorbable threads. They are made from prolene. More modern techniques involve the use of a stapler and securing the implant with tantalum staples. Abroad, the production of meshes with “Velcro” has begun, which simply need to be pressed onto the underlying tissues for fixation.

Laparoscopic surgery

This type of intervention has additional contraindications. It is not recommended for:

• For immunodeficiencies, including HIV infection.
• In cases of liver dysfunction;
• During menstruation.

Most often, laparoscopy is used in combination with mesh implant prosthetics.

During the operation, the surgeon does not make an incision, but three small punctures. Special tubes called trocars are inserted into them. The largest is located in the navel area. This is where the endoscope with camera and light source is placed. The rest are filled with instruments for the necessary surgical procedures. A grabper is placed in one - a device for capturing tissue and delivering an implant. A suture device or stapler with staples is inserted into the other puncture.

laparoscopic method for removing umbilical hernia

After laparoscopy, the recovery period is much shorter than after standard surgery. This is associated with minor injury to muscle tissue and a reduced risk of damage to nerve endings.

Complications

Most often, patients after surgery encounter the following complications:

1. Wound infection. Hernioplasty is a “clean” (implies absence of contact with potential pathogens) operations, therefore antibiotics are not indicated after it. As a preventive measure, they are prescribed if a focus of infection has been detected or once for patients over 60 years of age.
2. Seroma. This is swelling in the surgical site. Most often it occurs when using an implant as a reaction of the body to a foreign body. There are no signs of inflammation. Seroma resolves on its own within a few weeks. No treatment is required. However, it is necessary to visit a doctor and possibly do an ultrasound to rule out recurrence of the hernia.
3. Hematoma– hemorrhage in the surgical area. Just like seroma, it can resolve on its own, but in most cases doctors prefer to open the wound and ensure fluid drainage.
4. Neuralgia– dysfunction of nerve endings. Complications occur in 10-15% of cases. Patients are concerned about pain, loss of sensitivity, burning and itching in the surgical area. Neuralgia, as a rule, goes away on its own within 6 months after the nerve endings are restored.
5. Paresis (obstruction) of the intestine. To prevent it, drugs that enhance peristalsis are taken, the patient needs to perform physical activity, and in the first hours after surgery - breathing exercises.

Is there an alternative to surgical treatment?

Official medicine claims that only through surgical intervention is it possible to remove a hernia. On the websites of traditional healers and their followers you can find different recommendations:

• Taking various herbal remedies.
• Reduction of the hernia and sealing it with a plaster.
• Taking plantain seeds.
• A compress made of clay or a mixture of honey, propolis and iodine, which must be applied to the hernia.
• Pouring with cold water or cold water and vinegar.

Doctors warn that none of these methods have scientific basis. Moreover, delay can be dangerous, since there is always a risk of strangulation of the hernia and the development of necrosis. At the first diagnosis, it is necessary to start planning the operation, and not waste time on ineffective and dubious means.

Only in children can the disease go away on its own.Remember, an umbilical hernia in adults cannot be cured without surgery!

Rehabilitation period

For planned operations and uncomplicated hernias, the recovery period is easy. The patient can take food the next day after surgery. At first, it is better to give preference to easily digestible foods in liquid or semi-liquid form. With traditional hernioplasty, turning in bed is allowed on the second day, and on the third day you can get up and walk a little.

Surgeons of the old school sometimes recommend long-term bed rest - up to 2 weeks. Modern experts call this tactic erroneous. So, Doctor of Medical Sciences V.V. Zhebrovsky notes: “Early physical activity of the patient prevents the occurrence of thromboembolism, pneumonia and other complications from the cardiovascular and respiratory systems of the patient.” Many foreign surgeons share the same opinion.

The diet should be maintained for up to 2 weeks. It is possible to prescribe a course of analgesics to relieve pain symptoms. A bandage or special underwear may also be recommended during the recovery period. They prevent the risk of relapse. Women can use a support belt for pregnant women as a bandage after surgery - its effect is similar.

Cardiovascular and pulmonary insufficiency may occur in the first hours or even days after surgery in patients with giant hernias or in elderly patients. To prevent this, they must take a position in which their head is higher than their feet and breathe in humidified oxygen. In some cases, artificial ventilation may be required.

Rehabilitation of patients with strangulated hernia, who underwent urgent or emergency surgery, is difficult. To prevent the development of purulent inflammation, they are shown:

• Wearing a tight bandage.
• Daily inspection of the wound, dressings,
• Punctures for the development of seroma or hematoma.
• A course of antibiotics.
• Use of physical therapy.

After discharge, all patients must observe restrictions on physical activity (up to 4 months). Return to work is possible 4-6 weeks after surgery. If the job involves heavy physical labor, a transfer to another position is necessary. It is possible to apply for disability.

Video: features of the postoperative period

An umbilical hernia is a condition of the body in which internal organs extend beyond the boundaries of the abdominal cavity through a small hole located in the navel area. This defect is subject to mandatory surgery in adulthood. In a situation with children, of course, the option of natural correction is still possible if the child is no more than 3-4 years old. But if he is older than the specified age, then only surgery is allowed.

Removing an umbilical hernia is not an easy process. And it can be performed in one of two ways: tension or non-tension hernioplasty. But, regardless of the method of surgical intervention, in both cases a prerequisite for proper recovery is a competent postoperative period, failure to comply with which can lead to relapses of the problem or to all sorts of complications.

The rehabilitation period is individual for each patient. It will take one person a week to get back to normal, another six months. In the case of delayed rehabilitation, several years may pass.

Rehabilitation after removal of an umbilical hernia in women, men and children does not depend on the age of the sick person who underwent the operation. And it consists in observing the following points:

• limiting the weight of lifted items to 2-3 kg, no more;
• refusal of physical activity, running and jumping for at least 2 months;
• performing a physical therapy complex;
• wearing a special support bandage;
• maintaining a balanced diet that excludes dairy products, legumes and cabbage, as well as all spicy, carbohydrate and fatty foods from the patient’s diet.

Let's take a closer look at the last two points.

The support bandage is worn after the wound has completely healed. And it must be worn constantly for the entire period of time determined by the attending physician, removing the device only during sleep or rest. Often, the period of wearing a bandage is about 30-45 days when the hernial orifice is closed with a mesh and 3-4 months in case of plastic surgery or the tendency of the operated patient to gain excess weight. The rehabilitation period after removal of an umbilical hernia in a child may be slightly reduced due to the fact that the overall elasticity and level of tissue growth in children is much higher than in an adult.

Attention! It is possible to completely abandon the support device only if the muscle tissue has completely recovered after the operation.

The diet, in addition to the above exceptions, also implies in its diet an increased amount of soups, cereals, stewed vegetables and fresh fruits. It is these products that contribute to increased contraction of the walls of the organs of the digestive system and facilitate the removal of waste products from the human body. A patient undergoing rehabilitation is prohibited from drinking alcoholic beverages of any strength and consuming canned foods. It is also recommended to limit your coffee consumption.

In the postoperative period, it is very useful to ingest decoctions of medicinal herbs: oak bark, chamomile, sage, yarrow or rose hips. They not only help improve immunity, but also relieve inflammation and reduce pain.

During the first two weeks of rehabilitation after surgery to remove an umbilical hernia, a patient of any age must strictly adhere to the daily routine. The first two days you are only allowed to lie down and sleep on your back. In the next two days you can and should get up and walk around. The rest of the time, it is recommended to move as often as possible, but at the same time closely monitor the body and, at the first “bells” of fatigue, give yourself a rest.

During the rehabilitation period after surgery to remove an umbilical hernia, men are also regularly examined by a urologist to avoid problems with the genitourinary system.

Starting from the third week, when the postoperative scar is finally formed, it is worth starting to devote attention and time to special gymnastics.

Therapeutic and physical training complex is one of the most useful and effective measures for the prevention of relapse of pathology in all patients who have undergone surgery, regardless of their age and physical condition. Thanks to exercises, the postoperative scar will heal faster, and recovery will be much easier.

What physical therapy exercises can you do?

A physical therapy complex aimed at speedy recovery of the body after surgery may include basic gymnastic exercises that relax and strengthen the muscles of the abdomen, back and hips. All ab exercises are prohibited.

It is necessary to do similar gymnastics daily, dividing the entire complex into several approaches, each of which lasts 15-20 minutes.

Examples of various exercises are below, but it is better to discuss any exercises with your doctor:

How to do the exercises correctly: on your own or with a specialist?

The specific exercises included in the physical therapy complex are selected by the attending physician, and then the patient himself can adjust them to his feelings and capabilities.

If, while performing one or another exercise from the complex prescribed by a specialist, the patient feels discomfort or pain, then this should definitely be reported to the attending physician. Such negative sensations may be a sign of postoperative complications.

Massage

In addition to the gymnastics complex, a specialist often prescribes massage. It is especially indicated during rehabilitation after removal of an umbilical hernia for newborn babies and children with a congenital defect of the musculo-ligamentous apparatus, but it is no less useful for adult women and men.

Regular massage helps the sutures heal faster and improves blood circulation in the area where the operation was performed.

Important! The massage can only be performed by a professional, since the muscles after the surgical process are not yet strong enough and can be damaged if handled incorrectly. At home, massage can be performed only after the body has fully recovered.

In addition to massage therapy, the attending physician may offer additional procedures such as: treatment with ultraviolet radiation or electrical impulses, magnetic therapy. Of the non-traditional methods, the safest after such an operation are: acupuncture, hirudotherapy and apitherapy. All of them are aimed at normalizing blood microcirculation, pain relief in the navel area and preventing inflammatory processes.

Conclusion

If all the above points are properly observed, during the rehabilitation period after removal of an umbilical hernia in an adult or child, the body’s recovery will be easy and quick, and the likelihood of relapse and complications will be reduced to a minimum.

Reviewer: Alexandra Larina