HWN Suggests

How to Spot and Treat a Child’s Hernia

When my twin sons were 2½, their pediatrician detected a hernia in the right groin of one of the boys. The doctor minced no words: The hernia would not repair itself and surgery was necessary to avoid a serious, potentially life-threatening complication. But he added reassuringly that the operation was routine and the patient nearly always goes home the same day.

I selected a top-notch pediatric surgeon at a nearby hospital who found during surgery that my son had a second hernia on the left side that he also repaired. He was in recovery for an hour or so, where he was watched for possible complications…

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 Hernia Surgery in Children

The treatment of inguinal hernias is not just the most common surgical procedure in adults. It is also the most common condition requiring surgical treatment in childhood. Inguinal hernias in children are almost always congenital, occurring at a frequency of up to 2%.

Articles of Interest

Amyand’s hernia in a 5-year-old child: a case report and literature review

Amyand’s hernia is a rare type of inguinal hernia where the appendix is located within and/or incarcerated in the hernia sac. Studies claim that Amyand’s hernia occurs in 1% of all inguinal hernias, and the presence of appendicitis within an Amyand’s hernia accounts for 0.1% of all appendicitis.

Inguinal hernias in children

Recognising the signs of a hernia containing compromised contents is essential to prevent serious complications such as intestinal perforation, testicular atrophy and ovarian damage. Other common conditions such as hydrocoele and undescended testis are sometimes confused with an inguinal hernia. Young patients under the age of three months and patients with concern for compromised contents require urgent referral.

One surgeon experiences in childhood inguinal hernias

Inguinal hernia is the most common indication for surgery in the paediatric age group and the incidence of inguinal hernia in those younger than 18 years old varies from 0.8 to 4.4%. It is believed that these hernias rarely go away, and therefore, virtually all should be repaired.

The demographic profile and the management of infantile inguinal hernia: a 3-year’s review

Inguinal hernia in neonates and infants including children is as a result of failure of processes vaginalis to close. Once diagnosed, it should be promptly repaired on elective basis to prevent possible risk of bowel incarceration.

Resources

HealthyChildren.org

Hernias can occur at any age but are most common in newborns but may not be noticeable for several weeks or months after birth.