A spigelian hernia can occur on either side of the abdomen, but most people feel pain in the lower abdomen. A spigelian hernia can block the bowel or other vital organs. When this occurs, it is a life-threatening complication that requires immediate medical attention.

Do Spigelian hernias need surgery?

Treatment for a spigelian hernia

Hernia repair surgery is the only way to treat a spigelian hernia. The decision to have surgery is based on the size of the hernia and whether you experience pain. If you choose surgery, a surgeon can perform an open mesh repair by making an incision in your abdomen near the hernia.

What is a spigelian hernia and what causes it?

A spigelian hernia is relatively rare, usually developing after age 50, primarily in men. The cause is usually a weakening of the abdominal wall, trauma, or prolonged physical stress. Spigelian hernias are sometimes challenging to diagnose or mistaken for other abdominal conditions.

Can you feel a spigelian hernia?

A spigelian hernia is an uncommon hernia in the abdominal wall. Symptoms may include a bulge appearing below and to the side of the belly button. Patients may feel a certain amount of discomfort which can be made more painful when lifting heavy objects or straining.

How big is a spigelian hernia?

Spigelian hernias are rare compared to other types of hernias because they do not develop under abdominal layers of fat but between fascia tissue that connects to muscle. The Spigelian hernia is generally smaller in diameter, typically measuring 1–2 cm., and the risk of tissue becoming strangulated is high.

What Is a Spigelian Hernia? - Howard Baron, MD - Pediatric Gastroenterologist

36 related questions found

What aggravates a Spigelian hernia?

frequently straining to have a bowel movement. trauma to the abdomen, such as during surgery or due to a major injury. frequently straining to lift heavy objects. fluid in the abdomen due to conditions such as liver problems.

Is a Spigelian hernia an emergency?

With the rapid expansion of the indications for minimal access surgery in emergency situations,¹ Spigelian hernias, which are rare emergencies, are increasingly tackled using a laparoscopic approach leading to swift patient recovery and discharge.

How do you repair a Spigelian hernia?

Spigelian hernias can be repaired using an open conventional approach, or laparoscopic repair. Despite the increased popularity of the laparoscopic approach the open mesh repair is still the most common method employed. Spigelian hernias typically become symptomatic only once they have become incarcerated.

Are Spigelian hernias reducible?

Spigelian hernia is a rare type of hernia. It can be congenital or acquired. Patients usually have a painful mass in the mid-to-lower abdomen, which is sometimes reducible in the supine position. Because of its high rate of incarceration, surgery should be performed as soon as a Spigelian hernia is diagnosed.

Can a CT scan detect a Spigelian hernia?

The hernia can be diagnosed by either CT or ultrasound scan, but these can be falsely negative, and unequivocal radiological diagnosis prior to surgery is rare.

Does having a hernia affect bowel movements?

If the contents of the hernia become trapped in the weak point in the abdominal wall, the contents can obstruct the bowel, leading to severe pain, nausea, vomiting, and the inability to have a bowel movement or pass gas.

Can you see hiatal hernia on ultrasound?

Ultrasonography is a noninvasive technique that may be useful in the diagnosis of a hiatal hernia and gastroesophageal reflux.

How common is hernia after C section?

What is the rate of occurrence for incisional hernia after a C-section? A research study published in the journal PLoS One found that an estimated 2 out of every 1,000 cesarean deliveries caused a hernia that required surgical repair within 10 years of delivery.

Do hernias show up on CT scans?

Cross-sectional CT scans can show hernias and the contents of the peritoneal sac. More important, CT findings can be used to diagnose unsuspected hernias and to distinguish hernias from masses of the abdominal wall, such as tumors, hematomas, abscesses, undescended testes, and aneurysms.

What pain do you get from a hernia?

Typically, patients with ventral hernias describe mild pain, aching or a pressure sensation at the site of the hernia. The discomfort worsens with any activity that puts a strain on the abdomen, such as heavy lifting, running or bearing down during bowel movements. Some patients have a bulge but do not have discomfort.

Can stress aggravate a hernia?

Stress and hernias

People who engage in heavy lifting or repetitive activities that put stress on the lower body may be at increased risk for hernias. If you already have a hernia, stress can make it grow larger and get worse. Remember that no hernia disappears on its own.

Does a hernia make you look fat?

Appearance. The hernia will look like a bulge or bump in the scrotum or groin region. Standing or bearing down with force will often make the bulge more noticeable. The bulge typically takes time to appear, but it can form suddenly after coughing, lifting heavy weights, straining, bending, or laughing.

Which hernia is most likely to strangulate?

Some of the more common types of hernias that can become strangulated are:

• Inguinal hernia: A bulge on either side of the pubic bone.
• Epigastric hernia: A bulge of fat pushing through the walls of the upper abdomen.
• Femoral hernia: A lump in the groin or inner upper area of the thigh.

What type of hernia is most common in females?

Inguinal hernia is the commonest hernia type in females followed by incisional hernias which also accounteds for most recurrent cases.

Can a Spigelian hernia cause testicular pain?

Weakness, heaviness, or burning near the area of the bulge. Swelling in the scrotum and testicles.

What is Parastomal?

A parastomal hernia occurs when the intestines press outward near a stoma, the hole created for a colostomy or ileostomy appliance. This causes a bulge under the skin. It can also cause pain and bothersome leakage. Parastomal hernias are the most common complication of ostomy surgery.

What causes femoral hernia?

A femoral hernia occurs when tissue pushes through a weak spot in the muscle wall of the groin or inner thigh. Common causes include being overweight and overstraining while coughing, exercising, or passing stool. Symptoms of a femoral hernia include a lump in the groin or inner thigh and groin discomfort.

How does a hernia feel to the touch?

Usually, the bulge is soft enough that you can gently push, or knead, it back into your abdomen (reducible), and it is often not there when you wake up in the morning. Most hernias are not painful. However, sometimes the area around your hernia may be tender and you may feel some sharp twinges or a pulling sensation.

Will a hernia show up on a colonoscopy?

Some clinicians have suggested the presence of a large inguinal hernia is a relative contra-indication to colonoscopy[1]. We suggest that in the event a colonoscopy is clinically necessary prior to repair of moderate to large inguinal hernia, the option of computerized tomography colonoscopy be explored.

What type of doctor operates on a hernia?

When you have a hernia, treatment will start with your primary care provider. If you need surgery to repair the hernia, you'll be referred to a general surgeon. In fact, ventral hernia repairs are one of the most common operations U.S. general surgeons perform.