Dr Harsh Shah
MS, MCh (Surgical Gastroenterology), DrNB (Surgical Gastroenterology)
Registered with Gujarat Medical Council, Reg. No. G-38738
Robotic Hernia Surgeon · Apollo Hospital, Bhat, Gandhinagar · Gota OPD, Ahmedabad
In short
Many parents are told that a baby's belly button hernia will close by itself, and often it does. So when an adult finds a bulge at the navel, they may hope it will close too.
In adults it does not. This page explains why, and how the decision to repair it is made.
Before birth, the cord passes through an opening in the belly wall at the navel. After birth the opening closes and becomes a scar. That scar is a natural weak point for the rest of life.
In a baby, the wall around it is still growing, so a small hernia there often closes. An adult's wall has stopped growing. Once the hole has opened, nothing makes it close again.
Belly button hernia in a baby and in an adult
| Point | In a baby | In an adult |
|---|---|---|
| Why it forms | The navel opening has not yet closed | A weak spot opens under pressure |
| Closes on its own? | Often, as the child grows | No |
| Usual course | Gets smaller with time | Stays the same or grows |
| Risk of trapping | Low | Small, higher with a tight neck |
| Usual plan | Wait and watch | Watch if small, repair if it grows or hurts |
Has the bulge at your navel grown or started to hurt? An examination tells you whether it can wait or should be repaired.
Each of these pushes on the navel from inside, day after day.
A small hernia that goes back easily and causes no pain can be watched. Your surgeon will tell you what to look out for.
Repair is usually advised when the lump grows, aches, does not go back, or the skin over it becomes thin. A small hole with a tight neck is more likely to trap fat or bowel than a wide one, so size alone does not decide it.
This can be done through a small cut at the navel, or by keyhole or robotic surgery through small cuts away from it. Most people go home the same day or the next.
Not in an adult. The edges of the hole are mature, firm tissue that no longer grows. A hernia usually stays the same or slowly gets bigger.
Weight gain, pregnancy, a long cough, straining or fluid in the belly raise the pressure on a spot that is naturally weak.
Most are not. A small hernia with a tight neck can trap fat or bowel. A hard, painful lump needs a check the same day.
Not always. A very small hernia may be closed with stitches. For most adult hernias, a mesh lowers the chance of it coming back.
Usually yes. With keyhole or robotic repair the cuts are away from the navel. With open repair the cut is hidden in its fold.
The main page on this site is robotic hernia surgery in Ahmedabad. These cover the neighbouring questions.
Where to find us
Dr Harsh Shah, MS, MCh (Surgical Gastroenterology), DrNB (Surgical Gastroenterology)
Shah's Gastro, Cancer & Robotic Surgery Centre
Apollo Hospital, Bhat, Gandhinagar
Gota OPD, Ahmedabad
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