Patient's question:
Son cried when he had a bowel movement this afternoon, and I noticed a lump the size of a ping pong ball under his body. It was soft and swollen. When we went to the hospital, it was no longer visible. The doctor said it was an inguinal hernia and that surgery was needed. Where is the best place to treat pediatric hernias?Doctor's answer:
Hello! Pediatric inguinal hernia is one of the most common diseases in pediatric surgery and hernia surgery, mainly including congenital inguinal hernia and umbilical hernia. The main factors for the occurrence of pediatric hernia are congenital factors. Inguinal hernia is mainly caused by the failure of the processus vaginalis to close, while umbilical hernia is due to the inability of the umbilical ring to shrink and close in a timely manner, often in premature infants and low birth weight infants due to incomplete growth and development at birth. Inguinal hernias in children over one year old cannot heal on their own. If a child with an umbilical hernia is over 4 years old or the umbilical ring diameter is 2-3 cm or larger, surgery should be considered. This is a routine minor surgery and can generally be treated in most hospitals.