Cesarean delivery is one in which an incision is made in the abdomen and the uterus of a woman to give birth to the baby by accessing him/her through this incision. Your doctor may ask you to go for a cesarean delivery when there are complications like breech position (baby’s bottom down instead of head) or the first delivery of yours was also the cesarean one.

A Hernia is said to be one of the complications after the C-section delivery but it is rarely seen in most of the women.

All You Need to Know About Hernia after a C-Section

What is a hernia?

A hernia is a condition in which a part of the body is protruded or pushed by the other body part to a position where it should not be. When we are talking about the incisional hernia the abdominal lining of the persons through the abdominal incision comes from the cesarean delivery.

Read More: Is a Hernia Dangerous during Pregnancy: Symptoms, Risks, Treatment, and Prevention

The hernia symptoms in women are more common as:

• when she has diabetes

• when the incision is too large

• have weak tissues

• the woman who is obese

• When the incision wound is not completely healed.

Is hernia common after C-section delivery?

It has been said that 2 out of 1000 women having C-section delivery had to face hernia after C-section as per the research study. Most of the woman may have the condition of hernia which may not require surgical repair for some period or at times not all.

The hernia could be common in women who had multiple pregnancies that is more than one pregnancy which puts an extended pressure on the abdomen. Though it can’t be said to be the true reason to have the hernia as your body is capable of facing different condition but only until the core working correctly inside your body.

What causes hernia after a C-section delivery?

It has also been found that the woman who undergoes a midline incision (up and down) may face the complication of hernia symptoms. On the other side, the woman with side to side incision are not likely to face such complications after the C-section delivery. Hernia due to any reason is mainly seen within one year of the C-section and it should be treated at the point it is identified to get safe from further complications.

Hiatal hernia is also another type of hernia seen in the woman due to the weakness of the diaphragm muscle. Many times it is not clear to the doctors why a hiatal hernia is caused but the hiatal hernia symptoms are found due to abdominal surgery, aging, or trauma. Along with hiatal hernia, sliding hernia and Paraesophageal hernia is also cause due to damage or misplacement of the diaphragm.

Risk factors

There are many risk factors involved due to the hernia after C-section which includes:

• Increasing pain in the stomach
• Near or on the hernia tenderness and pain is experienced
• You can face vomiting and nausea
• A small or large bulge near the incision
• A sort of redness and swelling occurs on the stomach.

It is essential to discuss the risk factors with the surgeon after C-section delivery so that you can be aware and help yourself by knowing the hernia symptoms in women.

What are the symptoms of hernia after a C-section?

The primary hernia symptoms after the C-section is the bulge in your stomach at the place of the incision which has an unusual appearance. The bulge of the hernia can grow with time or may change positions. The person can feel and sometimes also see the hernia bulge on the stomach which is of a similar color to the skin.

The abdominal bulge develops after a few or more months after the birth of your baby. You can see it appear when you stand straight or involved in different physical activities. The place from where the uterus shrinks of the abdomen loses or get dimpled.

How is hernia diagnosed?

The doctors can examine the appearance or the hernia symptoms by physical check-up or simply by its look on the skin. But they also cross-check the diagnoses as there are some similar symptoms after the C-section like abscess or hematoma.

For the proper diagnosis, the doctors use the imaging studies as well to confirm with the condition of hernia or to check that whether inside the hernia is any bowel trapped? These imaging study can include CT Scan and ultrasound.

What are the Complications of Hernia Post C-section?

The complications which occurs after the post-C-section delivery are:

• Perforation of the bowel
• Bowel blockage causing stomach pain and swelling belly
• Inside the body, bleeding may tend to happen
• The layers of abdominal walls known as cavity fill with fluid.

How to Treat a Hernia after a C-Section Delivery?

The treatment of hernia after the C-section delivery is surgery. But doctors not directly go for surgery until there are following hernia symptoms in women:

• Overtime no improvement and hernia start getting bigger and bigger.
• A woman faces difficulty in standing, coughing, or carrying out daily activities
• The incarceration of hernia where a woman goes through a lot of pain (this condition is rare and if it happens then a medical emergency is needed)

The hernia has no medication treatment to make it smaller but some women try for alternatives to avoid the protrusion of hernia like wearing an elastic belt. The surgeon evaluates the condition of the hernia and then choose a required approach for its treatment.

The hernia after pregnancy can be treated by open technique or minimally invasive technique which include small incisions to reach the affected area.

FAQ

How long it takes to get treated with a hernia after C-section?

The hernia after C-section has to be treated with surgery and it doesn’t take much but only a day to undergo the surgery by your doctor. You may go home the same day. Pain is normal to happen and it recovers with time.

When it is to worry about after the surgery?

If there is blood clots, fever, and excessive bleeding then going to a doctor is recommendable.

What if the hernia is left untreated?

If the hernia is not treated on time then you can get fetal and cause severe consequences.

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6066900/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4182598/