Post Partum Hernia
9th November 2020 – “After giving birth, I have a lump and a bulge in my tummy!”
This is a common complain after giving birth. This is especially so in mothers with big babies. They noticed a bulge in the abdomen when they are standing up or a protrusion through the belly button. This is often associated with some discomfort or pain especially when they exercise or carry heavy loads.
The medical term for this is post partum umbilical hernia. Other terms which people use may be diastasis recti or divarication of the rectus.
The abdominal wall is made up of layers of muscles and tendon sheath. During pregnancy, the muscles and tendon sheath are stretched to accommodate the baby. After giving birth, some will recover back to normal but there are a proportion of mothers who will end up with a hernia. These hernias can be simple or associated with divarication of the rectus.
There are many techniques to repair these hernias. These techniques are tailored to the individual patient. Some considerations may be future pregnancies, size of the hernias and associated divarication. These surgeries can be done laparoscopically (keyhole) or in the traditional open fashion.
Please feel free to make an appointment to have an open discussion regarding your treatment options.
(Picture shows the hernia from a laparoscopic view)
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