How should my surgeon respond? I had abdominoplasty 3 yrs ago. My umbilical hernia returned w/in weeks after surgery. My surgeon claimed it did not require repair - "it is just skin". Recently I returned because it is painful & unattractive. He proposes repair by entering through old naval incision & using mesh to strengthen muscles. However, he says it will not be covered by insurance because it is not medically necessary. I got 2nd opinion & he disagrees. He says there is a hole in the muscle & proposes same repair method.
April 29, 2014
Answer: Recurrence of umbilical hernia after abdominoplasty is most unusual. Exposure for repair of an umbilical hernia could not be possibly better than with an abdominoplasty. The hernia is not really dangerous So surgical repair is elective. Whether or not insurance covers it will be an individual matter.
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April 29, 2014
Answer: Recurrence of umbilical hernia after abdominoplasty is most unusual. Exposure for repair of an umbilical hernia could not be possibly better than with an abdominoplasty. The hernia is not really dangerous So surgical repair is elective. Whether or not insurance covers it will be an individual matter.
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April 29, 2014
Answer: Umbilical hernia repair Insurance will almost always cover the repair of an umbilical hernia. For a small one like this, it probably contains only the fat layer from between the muscles and the lining of the abdominal cavity. This fat can get twisted and be painful so repair is medically justified. When hernias like this are larger, it can mean that a loop of bowel is in the hernia. This can become dangerous when the loop gets stuck and twists. It can lead to a section of dead bowel and a leak into the abdominal cavity causing peritonitis.I agree that this can be repaired at the time of an abdominoplasty. I routinely repair these when I find them during an abdominoplasty. Either yours was not repaired or it was repaired and the repair did not hold, which can happen.I recommend finding a qualified Plastic Surgeon who is a provider for your insurance and see if they will do an insurance repair. A General Surgeon also could repair this but they would be more likely to want to make a big scar instead of using the scar around the belly button. Some General Surgeons will repair this with mesh laparoscopically (small incisions) from inside the abdomen. This may give you the best chance at repair with the lowest chance of recurrence.
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April 29, 2014
Answer: Umbilical hernia repair Insurance will almost always cover the repair of an umbilical hernia. For a small one like this, it probably contains only the fat layer from between the muscles and the lining of the abdominal cavity. This fat can get twisted and be painful so repair is medically justified. When hernias like this are larger, it can mean that a loop of bowel is in the hernia. This can become dangerous when the loop gets stuck and twists. It can lead to a section of dead bowel and a leak into the abdominal cavity causing peritonitis.I agree that this can be repaired at the time of an abdominoplasty. I routinely repair these when I find them during an abdominoplasty. Either yours was not repaired or it was repaired and the repair did not hold, which can happen.I recommend finding a qualified Plastic Surgeon who is a provider for your insurance and see if they will do an insurance repair. A General Surgeon also could repair this but they would be more likely to want to make a big scar instead of using the scar around the belly button. Some General Surgeons will repair this with mesh laparoscopically (small incisions) from inside the abdomen. This may give you the best chance at repair with the lowest chance of recurrence.
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