Umbilical hernias or belly button hernias are common in children and adults. Most umbilical hernias in children will resolve on their own before the age of five. If not, they probably should be fixed.

They can occur in adults, especially in women after pregnancy. They start as an “outie” belly button, but progress to an obvious bulge in the area. They can be disfiguring and can get large enough to allow the bowel to become incarcerated.

Most of these are repaired with interrupted sutures if small, but may require nonabsorbable mesh if large. The incision is small, around the belly button, and is closed with dissolvable sutures.

This is an outpatient surgery and patients will only need a day or two off work. We also require three or four weeks of light duty, specifically, no heavy lifting. These time frames can vary from patient to patient.