An umbilical hernia is an abnormal protrusion of intestine through the inner abdominal wall. In children with long-standing hernias and in adults with hernias of any duration, surgery is required for hernia repair. While some exercise can usually be resumed immediately after surgery, high-intensity exercise should be avoided for fear of rupturing the repair. Importantly, if you are overweight, you should begin an exercise routine when able, following surgery, to prevent the likelihood that you will have another hernia.
About Umbilical Hernias
A hernia occurs when parts of abdominal organs -- usually intestines -- protrude through weaknesses in the inner abdominal wall. There are many types of hernias, including inguinal, femoral and umbilical. An umbilical hernia is a hernia at your belly button -- medically, your "umbilicus." Umbilical hernias are usually found in early childhood and, in most cases, they resolve on their own. If they fail to resolve, or if they become so protuberant that they are cut off from their blood supply -- or "incarcerated" -- surgery may be required for repair. According to Karen E. Deveney, writing in "Current Diagnosis and Treatment: Surgery," in adults, umbilical hernias increase in prevalence with age; risk factors such as multiple pregnancies and obesity also predispose to their development. In adults, these hernias do not spontaneously resolve, and surgery is always required for their repair.
Hernia Surgery
According to David J. Hackam and colleagues in "Schwartz's Principles of Surgery," surgical repair of an umbilical hernia is usually performed as an outpatient procedure under general anaesthesia. The herniated intestinal contents are returned to the abdomen, the abdominal defect that allowed them to protrude is sutured closed and, in most cases, recovery is uncomplicated and recurrence rare.
About Exercise
The concern with exercising in someone who has just undergone hernia repair is that increased pressure in the abdomen, caused by some exercises, may cause the hernia repair to fail. For the first few weeks after surgery, most doctors will recommend avoidance of activities that involve heavy lifting or bending, notes the National Institutes of Health. Although some exercises are contraindicated, some are safe to perform.
Exercises to Perform
Exercising after hernia surgery should begin slowly, with low-intensity activity. Immediately after surgery, walking can be resumed; within a couple of days, biking, jogging and golf can also be resumed. Light free weights can be used in about a week after surgery. By two to three weeks after an uncomplicated surgery, most activities can be resumed.
Prevention
If you've developed an umbilical hernia as an adult, chances are that you have risk factors predisposing you to developing another hernia -- umbilical or otherwise. If you are overweight or obese, this may be contributing to your risk of hernia development; therefore, exercising after hernia repair surgery should be encouraged as soon as it is possible, as a means to control this risk factor.
References
- "Schwartz's Principles of Surgery"; F. Charles Brunicardi, Dana K. Andersen, Timothy R. Billiar, David L. Dunn, John G. Hunter, Jeffrey B. Matthews, Raphael E. Pollock; 2010
- "Current Diagnosis and Treatment: Surgery"; Gerard M. Doherty (editor); 2010
- National Institutes of Health: Umbilical Hernia
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