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Umbilical Hernia
What is an Umbilical Hernia?
An umbilical hernia is a bulge near the belly button caused by an opening in the abdominal wall that didn’t close fully during development. It’s most noticeable when a child cries or strains but typically isn’t painful. Most umbilical hernias resolve by age 4-5 years. Surgical closure may be needed if the hernia is still present beyond that age or if the child has symptoms.
Evaluation and Diagnosis
A pediatric surgeon confirms the diagnosis through a physical exam. Extra tests like imaging are rarely needed.
Treatment
Surgery is recommended if the hernia doesn’t close by age 4-5 years. General anesthesia is required for the procedure. Most children can go home from the recovery room after the surgery.
Follow-Up Care
Recovery is straightforward, with minimal restrictions for 2-3 weeks. Follow-up visits ensure proper healing and monitor for rare recurrences.
When to Call the Doctor
Contact your surgeon for fever, signs of infection, or persistent pain. Seek urgent care for symptoms of incarceration, like severe pain or a firm, red bulge.
Inguinal Hernia
What is an Inguinal Hernia?
An inguinal hernia appears as a bulge in the groin, sometimes extending to the scrotum in boys. It occurs when abdominal contents pass through a small hole in a layer of the abdominal wall in the groin area. This is something that babies are born with, however, sometimes they can take time to diagnose. These hernias don’t resolve on their own and require surgical repair after the diagnosis is made.
Evaluation and Diagnosis
Diagnosis is based on the history of a groin bulge and physical examination. Ultrasounds are sometimes used to help confirm the diagnosis, but are not necessary.
Treatment
Surgical repair closes the hole or defect using stitches. Inguinal hernias in children are different from inguinal hernias in adults, so typically mesh is not required for the closure. Surgery requires general anesthesia and, depending on the age of the baby, can often be done as an outpatient procedure.
Follow-Up Care
Children recover quickly, with minimal discomfort managed by over-the-counter medication. Follow-up appointments check for healing and rare recurrences.
When to Call the Doctor
Contact your surgeon for fever, signs of infection, or persistent pain. Seek urgent care for symptoms of incarceration, like severe pain or a firm, red bulge.
Epigastric Hernia
What is an Epigastric Hernia?
An epigastric hernia is an opening in the abdominal wall above the belly button. These hernias don’t close on their own. They often do not have symptoms, however sometimes can cause pain.
Evaluation and Diagnosis
Epigastric hernias are typically identified during physical exams, especially when a child stretches or arches their back.
Treatment
Surgical repair closes the opening with stitches. General anesthesia is required for the procedure and most kids go home from the recovery room after surgery.
Follow-Up Care
Children recover quickly, with minimal discomfort managed by over-the-counter medication. Follow-up appointments check for healing.
When to Call the Doctor
Contact your surgeon for fever, signs of infection, or persistent pain. Seek urgent care for symptoms of incarceration, like severe pain or a firm, red bulge.
Other Hernias
Our surgeons are experts in repairing all types of abdominal wall hernias, including parastomal and ventral hernias. For questions, call us at (512) 708-1234.
Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Program
Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) is a problem that babies are born with in which a portion of the diaphragm has not formed correctly. The diaphragm is the muscle that separates the abdominal cavity from the chest cavity to help you breathe. When a CDH occurs, the intestines, liver and other organs push up into the chest and prevent the normal development of the lungs. The lungs are smaller than they should be and the blood vessels in the lungs also don’t work well, frequently preventing blood to flow like it should through the lungs. This is called pulmonary hypertension. There are a number of tests and measurements that can be done as a fetus to assess the severity of the diaphragmatic problem.
Babies born with CDH can be very sick soon after birth and may need to go on a heart lung bypass machine known as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO. Usually the surgery to repair the CDH is done in the first days or weeks of life. Depending on how much of the diaphragm is absent, the repair may include placing a patch of synthetic material where the diaphragm should be. Babies with CDH are often in the hospital for a long time after birth but we are there every step of the way with you, your baby, and your family to help make it as easy as possible. We are also there to follow up with you after you go home from the hospital. We will see your baby regularly and are always available as a resource for questions or concerns.
Austin Pediatric Surgery leads a multidisciplinary team of maternal fetal medicine doctors, neonatologists, pediatric intensive care doctors, ECMO specialists, cardiologists, pulmonoligist and other doctors to take care of babies with CDH. We use the most up to date techniques and equipment to take care of these babies. If you have any questions about the CDH program, please contact us at Austin Pediatric Surgery.
What is it?
A hole in the diaphragm (muscle that helps you breath), which allows abdominal organs to move into the chest, impacting lung development.
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Treatment
Surgery to repair the hole in the diaphragm to keep the abdominal organs out of the chest. Some babies with CDH can be very sick when they are born and require heart and lung bypass with ECMO.
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Follow-Up
Long-term care for breathing, feeding, and developmental challenges.
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