Is an umbilical hernia repair major surgery? Will I find it difficult to sleep after umbilical hernia surgery?
Any surgery under general anesthetic is significant and can have complications but in general umbilical hernia repair is a simple surgery if the hernia is not strangulated and infection has not set in. Sleeping after surgery is accessible either on your back or side. Stomach sleeping is prohibited until recovered.
How do I sleep after umbilical hernia surgery?
There are not too many secrets to reveal about how to sleep after umbilical hernia repair.
You can sleep on your back or sides 48 hours after the surgery. In most cases, the umbilical repair is straightforward and should not present too many issues when you are at home.
Providing you know the basics of sleeping after umbilical hernia surgery, you should be able to sleep just fine.
Some issues arise with any surgery to the abdomen, and umbilical hernia surgery is no different.
You will need to learn how to lay down after umbilical hernia surgery. This is crucial to keep you pain-free from this minor procedure.
You will need to sit on the side of the bed with your feet firmly planted on the floor place your right hand on the mattress close to where your head will rest.
Take the weight of your torso on your arm and, in one movement, swing your legs onto the bed while you simultaneously lower yourself into position.
Avoid twisting your abdomen at all costs to prevent pain and allow the surgical repair to heal.
If you wish to sleep on your back, roll like a log onto your back, do not roll onto your stomach. Once on your back, you can lift your hips slightly to make yourself comfortable.
Can you sleep on your stomach after umbilical hernia surgery?
No. Sleeping on your stomach will place unnecessary forces on the surgical site and cause pain and, worse, damage the repaired umbilical hernia.
Unlike other surgeries to the abdomen, umbilical hernia surgery only restricts you from sleeping on your belly for good reasons. After 9 weeks, you can sleep on your belly if this is your preferred sleeping position.
Is it ok to sleep on your side after umbilical hernia surgery?
Yes, you should sleep on your side or back after umbilical hernia surgery.
You may wish to utilize soft supportive pillows when you sleep on your side. Tuck a soft pillow in towards your stomach for support. This will take the pressure off the surgical site and will prevent discomfort.
In addition, the pillow tucked into your lower abdomen will remind you not to lay on your stomach if that is your preferred way of sleeping.
You can sleep on either side if you have a preference but remember moving may be uncomfortable, so roll like a log and do not twist your stomach muscles to prevent pain.
Some patients wonder when you can sleep on your side after umbilical hernia surgery, and the truth is you can sleep on your side pretty much straight away when you get home.
With any stomach related surgery, the problem is getting in and out of bed without pain. You need to learn the technique of how to move in one motion to avoid unnecessary pain from the surgery.
Your umbilical hernia has pushed its way through your stomach wall, so the incision will be repairing the muscle, so avoid twisting and putting strain on the lower stomach muscles.
How serious is an inguinal hernia?
Provided there are no other complications, it’s not really serious, but it does need surgical intervention to repair, it will not get better on its own.
An inguinal hernia is very common in males where the intestine or fatty tissues break through the muscle in the inguinal canal on either side of the groin.
The surgery can be carried out with a local anesthetic. Still, like any other muscle repair, the recovery time can be approximately 2 months or 8 weeks which is a long recovery time.
However, you can be back at work on light duties a few days after surgery.
Like all other protruding hernias, there is a period of learning how to sleep after the inguinal surgery has taken place.
Due to its location low in the groin area, sitting, standing and lying down in bed can be a challenge to do it pain-free.
You will have no choice but to gingerly sit on the side of the bed while supporting your upper body. The best way to process it is to swing your legs and toes in unison in one motion.
Then lay down, if you sleep on your back, place a pillow under your knees for comfort and place a pillow between your thighs if possible.
The pillow between your thigh will prevent you from crossing your legs and placing strain on the muscles in your groin.
It is possible to sleep on the side of your body, but you will need to roll like a log. The surgery takes time to heal fully, so take it easy and not push yourself.
It’s important that you use the prescribed painkillers when you head off to bed to enable a good night’s rest.
What position should I sleep in after hernia surgery?
Hernias can appear anywhere around your abdomen and groin, so giving a definitive answer to the question is difficult.
But you will need to learn how to sleep after hernia surgery wherever the hernia is located. If the hernia is in the upper abdomen, you will likely sleep in an elevated position for a week or so to allow for swelling to reduce.
For lower abdomen and groin hernias sleeping is normal but not on your stomach!
Moving in and out of bed is the skill you will need to master. There are a lot of physiotherapy videos online that can demonstrate the correct technique to prevent undue pain.
