What
is pediatric hernia?
The story of pediatric hernia begins from the time when
the baby is in mother’s womb. During the development of the foetus the
testicles are first developed inside the abdomen and then it goes down to the
testicle through a canal known as the inguinal canal which later gets sealed on
its own. In some case this tunnel doesn’t get completely sealed and a piece of
bowel can trap.
How
to identify pediatric hernia?
Hernias canoccur at any age but are mostly noticeable
after a few weeks or months of birth. If your child has hernia you can see a
bulge on the groin or the scrotum. Generally it can grow large when your child
is crying or straining and again get back smaller when sleeping (i.e. relaxed).
Though there are some myths that crying and straining can cause hernia which is
completely not true.
Doctors can identify the hernia very easily while
examining them by seeing a bulge when he/she is crying and getting smaller when
relaxed.
But what a doctor sees is different from what you see in
the house. If there is a constant bulge then probably there’s a chance that
it’s not a hernia rather it might be a mass. Rarely ultrasound is recommended
for examining hernia.
How
to treat?
Unfortunately there is no other option treat a hernia but
to go for a surgery. The surgery is scheduled to close the tunnel. The timing
of the surgery will depend upon the severity of the hernia. If it is an
incarcerated hernia then immediate procedure needs to be arranged.
What
kind of surgery is done?
A small incision is made near the bulge where the bowel
is pushed back to the abdomen and the tunnel is closed.
If laparoscopy is approached then tiny incisions are made
to insert the instruments and push back the bowel inside.
If bowel is trapped in hernia (incarcerated or strangulated)
then the surgeon make sure that the blood supply is not stopped for a long time
and then the part of bowel that is stuck is cutoff and the bowels are sewn
back.
Generally the surgery takes around 30 minutes to 1 hour.
The surgery is performed using general anaesthesia. After he/she gains
consciousness you will get to see your child. There might be some pain in the
area of incision but painkillers will be recommended by the doctor. The child
will be sent to home on the same day. But if the child is a premature baby then
the doctor might keep him/her for a one day observation.
Post-Surgery:
Home-care instructions
can be different depending on the hospital or surgeon, age of the child, and
how complex the surgery was. However, some general principles may be similar:
Most children can eat a
regular diet right after surgery.
Recovery time depends on
the child. Most can go back to normal, non-strenuous activities in about 1-2
weeks.
Your child will be
restricted from bathing for 2-3 days post-surgery. Your surgeon may give you
different or more specific instructions.
However if you notice
any of the complication below then contact the doctor immediately:
Bleeding or drainage from the
incision
Redness around the wound(s)
Fever above 101 F
Vomiting
Less peeing than usual or
fewer wet diapers than usual
Having an inguinal hernia in one groin may lead to the
chance of having the hernia on other groin but generally it doesn’t happen. The
surgeon will give a details of the post-surgery care for your child.
