Greater Body

Has anyone had a hernia repaired with an abdominoplasty?

I suspect I have an abdominal hernia (slightly above the umbilical area) and since I will need surgery to correct it, am wondering if I can have an abdominoplasty at the same time and what type of surgeon should I consult for this?

Public Comments

1. Generally abdominal hernias are repaired by general surgeons, whereas abdominoplasties are performed by plastic surgeons. Both are fairly quick, simple procedures. Many plastic surgeons underwent residency training in general surgery prior to doing a fellowship in plastics, and if I had to guess this would be the ideal candidate to do a combined operation.
2. Hi Brandi. Glad you asked. My daughter went through hell with this problem. First had a surgeon do a repair using the standard mesh they put in there. After about 6 months, she began to herniate around the navel. The hernia became very large. We visited both a surgeon and a plastic surgeon to hear their proposed solutions. In our case, there was no comparison between the two. The general surgeon was not confident about results saying the mesh could herniate again. By contrast, the plastic surgeon we saw had treated hundreds of these cases and was extremely confident. Yours does not sound anything near as bad as my daughters so I'm pretty comfortable recommending you go straight to a plastic surgeon. They REALLY attach the mesh so it is firmly attached. While they are working right there anyway, I'd also recommend you consider a tummy tuck. My daughter did and was so glad she did. You have the pain of recovery to deal with anyway but the flat tummy really adds a positive side to the ordeal. Good luck Brandi. BTW, be sure to phone around and ask how many of this type of surgery the physician has done. Don't be embarassed by asking. You are paying for it and you want the best.