Just found out today that our 3 year old has hernia. The doctor wanted to set up an appointment for surgery and get it fixed. Not being a huge fan of surgery we are getting a second opinion.
For some odd reason I was thinking that hernia’s, particularly in the scrotal region of boys was fairly common and often time “closed” on there own, obviously the doctor doesn’t agree and I could have been hallucinating.
Anyone have any info or experiance with this type of thing in a toddler? Is surgery the only option?
I’ve never heard of hernias closing on their own and your child could be in real danger of strangulation. I had one for almost ten years because I dreaded having surgery. In retrospect, I wish I had done the surgery sooner. Both my sons had hernia surgery as babies. They bounced right back.
**Anyone have any info or experiance with this type of thing in a toddler? Is surgery the only option? **
Our second kid had a hernia, and he was a bit younger than 3, actually. As far as I know, surgery is the only option. I don’t even remember having any other options under consideration at the time, so my answer is that surgery is almost certainly the only option.
I know one toddler in my family had a hernia around age 1-2. Surgery was done… I don’t even think he has scars from it, and this was 25-ish years ago. i don’t think hernias close on their own…
I had one for almost ten years because I dreaded having surgery. In retrospect, I wish I had done the surgery sooner.
Why did you wish that you had done it earlier? I have had a hernia for the last 4 years - I have no pain or discomfort from it and the doctor said just leave it. If there is something else I should know…
Our eldest daughter developed hernias on both sides of her abdomen at 4 weeks. She weighed under 5 lbs at the time, and we had only just sprung her from the neo natal ICU. And it was two weeks before Christmas. So surgery wasn’t top of my list of things to do either.
However, the consequences of not doing so can (not will) be dire. The intestine that has burst through the muscle wall can be starved of blood and die. Which leads a gangrene and a whole world of trouble.
What you may have in mind is that sometimes the hernia spontaneously disappears: the intestine slips back through the hole in the muscle wall and resumes its usual position. But I don’t think that the muscle wall will heal itself unless it’s torn in the first place. Sometimes the formation of the muscle isn’t complete.
I’d say do it and move on. Surgery is not a big deal. And kids bounce back from it a lot faster than adults.
Was hoping that there was an “Alternative” but doesn’t look like it. He’s boy and I aught to get used to this type of stuff I guess. Last Wednesday as he puts it “I dropped a big big BIG rock on my toe”. Crushed his toe and broke the last bone on his big toe. First day he was pretty tender. He was up walking on it, with a special shoe my wife made, the next day and was running around like not much happened 3-4 days later.
My son had surgery for this when he was 4. No ill effects or complications. Like your son, he also broke a bone in his foot, in his case at age 2 from jumping off a bed onto a hardwood floor. Had to cast it, but he was running on it after the first day.
I was born with one, I guess. I had it fixed at like 10 years old. Prior to the surgery, I had massive stomach pains at times. They went in through the belly button, I have no scars. It wasn’t a huge deal.