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Hiatal/umbilical
Long story short three years ago I gave birth to a very beautiful but large baby girl thirty hours of delivery four hours of pushing i swelled up and bled for about two months after giving birth I have been sick ever since. I tore very badly and never healed I am now suffering from a hiatal hernia found an Endoscopy and Umbilical hernia found on an MRI. I felt these hernias and asked for the testing to be done. I have seen three surgeons no one has yet to help only been told that small hernias are not painful I also I’m suffering from tears in my Perineum and I cannot spread my legs apart or it rips the pelvic tears did not show up on any test I would like this all fixed in one surgery (in a perfect world) I would love to go to Dr. towfigh but there’s no way I could handle the flight because it hurts so much to sit. Its a tough case because it involves the pelvic tears and the hernias but at the same time this is so common from childbirth and I know with surgery I could get my life back. If anyone could give me some advice or refer me to a doctor in the upstate New York or East coast areas i would be forever grateful.
Before giving birth I was a very healthy woman.
A few more details:
I am torn from my bellybutton to my pubis and I have a perennial tear and possibly a tear in my uterus. I have diastasis as of 2 months ago that happened at the same time I felt the umbilical hernia. I can’t bend over or even put pants on and I can’t lift anything. During my period The pain doubles.I don’t think I would be a candidate for mesh so I am looking for someone that could fix the hernias/tears and also repair the tissue.
The pain is quite unbearable the hiatal hernia umbilical hernia and tears are all related from giving birth so they all need to be fixed together. I can’t walk hurts to talk and I have to lay in a certain position to keep food down I am assuming due to the hiatal hernia.I have an appointment with the fertility doctor that does laparoscopy in the pelvic area but then I would have to find someone else to fix the hernia is an abdomen wall and I don’t know if it would be safe to have two surgeries.
I will be calling dr. Schwaitzberg today.
Normally I would be out racing my sailboat or skiing or walking it’s been very hard laying in bed trying to heal once I felt the hernias I knew this was something that I could not heal on my own.
I can’t thank you enough for this forum and for the amazing educated responses you are helping so many people.
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11 Replies
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Hiatal/umbilical
Typically no
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Hiatal/umbilical
Can hernias cause weight loss
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Hiatal/umbilical
Try Brian Jacob in Manhattan.
And don’t give up. You are your own best advocate.
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Hiatal/umbilical
Thank you so much for checking in!!
You are beyond kind.
I just posted an update.
Went to schwaitzberg…its 6 hrs for me in a car on mattress…not easy.
He doesn’t believe my pain could come from hernia/and that I have other hernias because they didn’t show on mri.
But!! He scheduled surgery laparoscopic will repair umbilical and look for others.Now bloodwork shows possible endocrine problems so he canceled surgery and making me see endocrinologist to treat with medicine.
Beyond frustrating. The pain is getting worse. I can’t stand up. I can feel exactly where hernias/tears are. Medicine can not fix this. Even worse I feel the hernias/tears are making me sick. /harboring bacteria.
I sat in his office begging for help. Ob surgeon yelled at me!! Told me I need physical therapy and pain meds. She told me unless it shows on a scan, there’s no tears, not true! Thankfully I have the mri that shows umbilical hernia.
I ripped when I gave birth, the tear is still there. I know my body and what I feel. If I separate my legs I rip. I can’t bend over lift things even sit down.
My life has stopped.
Any referrals I’m all ears. I will keep going until I get surgery.
I thank god for your knowledge about women and hernias. You are a blessing.
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Hiatal/umbilical
There is not slot of data regarding management of hernias and pregnancy.
Most of us specialists believe symptomatic hernias should be repaired prior to pregnancy and all others should be delayed until no further plans for pregnancy.
The risk of strangulation of most hernias during pregnancy is not zero but it is very very low.
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Hiatal/umbilical
Thank you for your response.
And what do you recommend with pregnancy? To get it repaired after? How common is it to become strangulated during pregnancy?
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Hiatal/umbilical
Hernias that are reducible but not causing pain are safe to watch in most cases. Hernias that are painful, increasing in size, and/or are stuck and cannot be pushed in, should be repaired.
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Hiatal/umbilical
Hi
I realised I had a hernia in July this year. The doctor told me it is an incisinal one as I had my gallbladder out in March this year. I also had my daughter in January this year. Please I need advised. I can push my hernia in but it pops back out pretty much straight away. Is this a concern?
I am not really wanting to have it repaired till I have had another child. What is your opinion on this?
Please help me. I stress myself out about this hernia and so worried it becomes strangulated and I miss serious signs.
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Hiatal/umbilical
Hi Kelly.
Any updates? Did you see Dr Schwaitzberg? -
Hiatal/umbilical
You will be in good hands with Dr. Schwaitzberg.
My take on this is that you have a diastasis recti (from pregnancy with a large baby), umbilical hernia (also can be from the pregnancy, and/or genetic), hiatal hernia (is this proven? can be from increased abdominal pressure due to pregnancy, abdominal weight, genetics, or other issues). I am not sure why you still suffer from the perineal tear during childbirth, as it has been 3 years.
You have so many abdominal wall and pelvic floor abnormalities, I wonder if a) your nutrition is up to par. Has anyone checked for your albumin, nutrition status, zinc levels, etc? and b) if you have a genetic predisposition toward lower collagen level. Any family members with hernias? Are you hyper mobile at the joints or do you have hyper extensibility?
Given all of these findings, choosing no mesh may not be in your best interest, as sewing tissue that is naturally weak and low in collagen is likely to fail and recur, causing more pain. I defer to your surgeon to help determine a) what are your main areas of pain, and b) what are the best surgical options.
If you are overweight, then weight loss will dramatically improve your symptoms, as any reduction in abdominal pressure will help reduce symptoms from hiatal hernia, umbilical hernia, and diastasis recti.
A tummy tuck is the most obvious choice for patients with very large diastases, with or without umbilical hernia, with possible mesh placement. However, this may worsen any symptoms related to a hiatal hernia, so once again it is important that a surgeon, of the caliber of Dr. Schwaitzberg, evaluate all of these issues together.
Best of luck! Keep us updated as to what the plan of care is proposed for you. There are a lot of great doctors near where you live, so also don’t be afraid to get second and third opinions.
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Hiatal/umbilical
Kelly88 – Hang in there. You will be ok, and it will work out. I know it’s hard right now, but your persistence and strength and beautiful baby will get you through it. This is a complex situation, and you should see Steven Schwaitzberg, chairman of surgery in Buffalo. Feel free to use my name, and mention hernia talk. Hope this helps! DE
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