What is an Epigastric Hernia?
Epigastric hernias occur due to a small tear in the linea alba. Most epigastric hernias occur in conjunction with rectus diastasis or diastasis recti — the movement of the rectus muscles away from each other. In women, this is typically due to pregnancy, while in men this typically occurs due to heaviness. Epigastric hernias can be painful. Most epigastric hernias only contain fat and not bowel, and so there is less associated risk of a bowel obstruction.
Epigastric Hernia Treatment
Treatment of epigastric hernias can be as simple as an incision directly over the affected area or as significant as a full abdominoplasty. Abdominoplasty is regarded as a more definitive epigastric hernia repair because the linea alba is fully tightened and the entire problem of rectus diastasis is corrected rather than simply patching the weakest area. However, abdominoplasty is also a much larger, more expensive surgery that requires a longer recovery.
To learn more about epigastric hernia repair in Chicago or to schedule a consultation with Dr. Gregory Dumanian, contact our office today by calling (312) 695-6022.