I am pregnant with my 3rd child, which will be a repeat c-section. I already had 2 c-sections with my other two children before. I have developed Crohn's and had surgery to remove 2 feet of small intestine back in 2002. Then within a year, I developed an umbilical hernia which has just gotten worse and worse (no insurance).
Now, my ob-gyn has referred me to general surgery to see if they will repair the hernia when I have my c-section. I am very fearful that the bigger I get with this pregnancy, the worse it's going to be. I am all for it, but what do you think? Is it a good idea? Do you have any suggestions? Thank you so much.
October 22, 2009
Answer: Elective surgery and hernia repair I see many women who develop umbilical hernias around the time of their pregnancy. Umbilical hernias can get larger during pregnancy as the abodmen enlarges, but they rarely pose a problem. The abdominal tissues get very swollen and are not entirely normal immediately after delivery. For that reason alone, I feel that repair of the hernia should be done about 4-6 months after the C-section (not at the same time), once you are down to your normal weight. If you have your hernia repaired at the time of C-section, you run a higher risk of the hernia recurring.
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October 22, 2009
Answer: Elective surgery and hernia repair I see many women who develop umbilical hernias around the time of their pregnancy. Umbilical hernias can get larger during pregnancy as the abodmen enlarges, but they rarely pose a problem. The abdominal tissues get very swollen and are not entirely normal immediately after delivery. For that reason alone, I feel that repair of the hernia should be done about 4-6 months after the C-section (not at the same time), once you are down to your normal weight. If you have your hernia repaired at the time of C-section, you run a higher risk of the hernia recurring.
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January 25, 2010
Answer: Ventral hernia repair during c-section In my opinion, a pregnant woman's tissues are not "normal" - they are swollen and do not handle nor behave the same way as they would a few months down the road when you returned to normal. So unless we were dealing with an urgent situation, I would advise caution and waiting for better times. However, I would defer this decision to the surgeon who would be doing the hernia repair.
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January 25, 2010
Answer: Ventral hernia repair during c-section In my opinion, a pregnant woman's tissues are not "normal" - they are swollen and do not handle nor behave the same way as they would a few months down the road when you returned to normal. So unless we were dealing with an urgent situation, I would advise caution and waiting for better times. However, I would defer this decision to the surgeon who would be doing the hernia repair.
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