My 7 year old ds has a hernia. It's in a very strange spot so I won't go in to details. No idea how he got it. Any one expierence this. We have an appointment with the surgeon next week. I also have to take him to an audiologist because we found out he has a hearing deficit in one ear. When it rains it pours! We are going to spend all summer at doctors appointments!

By Kaye on Monday, May 15, 2006 - 09:42 pm:

I dont' really have any btdt. My brother had a hernia at that same age. All I recall is he had surgery and got treated really special for a week

However I just took an anatomy class. In general there are two main type of hernias, what it means is something is out of place. Typically it is intestines or lining that have pushed through openings. The main two are the hole in your diaphram where your esohphagus passes through and then for boys where the gubernaculum passes through to the testicals

By Hol on Tuesday, May 16, 2006 - 12:18 am:

My oldest DS had an inguinal hernia at age 11. I happened to see him undressed one day, and it looked like he had three testicles! I could push the bulge back up into his abdomen. I asked him if it hurt, and he said no. Then I asked him how long he had had it and he said "all summer". This was September!
I called the pediatrician and took him right in. It seems that the testes of males are up inside of them until just before birth, and then they descend into the scrotum through these two little "holes" in the groin. Ideally, the holes close up afterward. In many males, it doesn't, leaving a weakness. Wherever there is an opening, intestines will poke through because there is so much of it in our abdomens, and its packed in.
It was a simple surgery under general anesthesia. He had his done by a military general surgeon. They put a little piece of "mesh" in the opening, then close it up. As I recall, I think he even had dissolvable sutures, so they didn't need to be removed. The tendency for them tends to run in families. My father-in-law got one on each side, at different times. However, once they were repaired, it never happened again. My DS said he thought he felt something "pop down there" (his words) when he was wrestling with my DD's (then) boyfriend one day. Kids!!!
Don't be afraid. He was operated on around 9:00AM, and back home at 1:00 eating pizza!
There is another kind of hernia, too, that both genders can get (besides the hiatal hernia of the esophagus). It is an umbilical hernia. If, when your belly button didn't close all the way when you were a baby, you can have a weakness there, too, and intestines can pop through. The cure is the same. We had a dog that had that once. There is a rare chance that the section of intestine can get trapped outside the hole, become 'strangulated', and cut off the blood supply. Then that is a medical emergency. That's why it's best to get it repaired asap.
(((HUGS))) regarding his hearing deficit. Just be glad you found it early.

By Beth on Tuesday, May 16, 2006 - 08:07 am:

That makes me feel better HOl and Kate. I don't know why I thought that Hernia's were more up on your side. His is in the testical area. I feel bad now because I know he has had this awhile. I just kept thinking maybe that's normal. I had recently finally asked my dh about it. We were going to ask at his doctors appointment next week. But this weekend it looked much worse to me. So that's why went yesterday. Poor kid thought that meant they would cut it off!LOL. I reassured him that was not the case.

By Tripletmom on Tuesday, May 16, 2006 - 08:42 am:

My DS had surgery in November for a hernia in the groin area.He was 5mths old.We had to keep it clean for 5 days with no bath in that area.He still has a 10% chance in getting it on the other side.Surgery was an hour with no problems.Today it is a very common surgery with little to none complications.

By Crystal915 on Tuesday, May 16, 2006 - 12:27 pm:

DH had double hernias around that age, had surgery to fix them, and after recovery continued to play sports and everything he did before. ((((HUGS)))))

By Tink on Tuesday, May 16, 2006 - 05:42 pm:

My brother had surgery for two of these when he was six and, to this day, he says the worst part was that he had to miss baseball practice for two weeks. The surgery was no big deal and he has no long-lasting issues from it. I know you'll worry but he'll be fine. {{{hugs}}}

By Pamt on Tuesday, May 16, 2006 - 07:03 pm:

My brother had this surgery when he was about 18-24 months old. Whenever I would have friends over (I'm 6 yrs older), he would drop his drawers to show them his "scarf" (scar).

Your DS will be just fine and it is a VERY common thing.

By Hol on Wednesday, May 17, 2006 - 12:21 am:

Beth, I felt awful, too, when I found out how long my DS had had his hernia, but he had reached the age when Mom usually didn't see him undressed anymore. Because it didn't hurt, he never said anything.
Don't feel like a bad mother. If you are, then I'm right there with ya! LOL!

By Karen~moderator on Wednesday, May 17, 2006 - 04:16 pm:

Jen had bilateral inguinal hernias at age 6 and had surgery for them. The 2nd day after surgery she was climbing up into the back of the neighbor's truck! Sometimes those things tend to run in families. My sister had one at around age 6/7/8, and her son had 2 when he was an infant. I think my dad had them as well. I had an umbilical hernia too. The surgery is rather simple, but something you want to get taken care of. Good luck!