Tummy tuck and umbilical hernia
A small umbilical hernia is not uncommon to find in patients during a tummy tuck. To fully address this the hernia needs to be reduced and then repaired directly before the muscles are reapproximated.
This usually only requires a few stitches depending on the size of the hernia. If the hernia is larger, than a repair with mesh may be needed prior to fixing the diastasis.
As always, you should try and a find a surgeon who is board certified in plastic surgery. (Patrick L. Basile, MD, Jacksonville Plastic Surgeon)
Umbilical hernia
A small umbilical hernia can usually be easily fixed by suturing the fascia and muscle over the opening without a mesh or other extra support provided that your fascia and muscles are otherwise normal. (Robin T.W. Yuan, MD, Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon)
Umbilical Hernia Repairs are Common in Abdominoplasty Patients
It is not uncommon to find abdominal wall hernias in patients undergoing abdominoplasty. These are defects in the abdominal wall that are repaired by replacing the intra-abdominal contents and closing the defects with sutures. Larger hernias may require mesh or alloderm repairs. But these can safely be performed at the time of abdominoplasty. (Marisa Lawrence, MD, Atlanta Plastic Surgeon)
A common finding
Small hernias, umbilical or otherwise are commonly encountered in performing tummy tucks. I usually just repair them as part of the overall procedure, the same as your surgeon is planning. Some hernias may require a little more work, but the whole tummy tuck process has a lot of similarities to a hernia repair. (David Dellinger, DO, Panama City Plastic Surgeon)
Umbilical hernia repair at time of tummy tuck.
It is not unusual to correct a small umbilical hernia while doing a tummy tuck. The hernia does need to be addressed specifically to close the fascial defect, but mesh is not needed for small hernias. This is usually accomplished without difficulty during the tummy tuck. Simply tightening the muscle over the hernia may not fix the problem long term. Tightening the muscle over the repair of the fascial defect should. You should discuss this with your surgeon to better understand their approach (Todd C. Case, MD, Tucson Plastic Surgeon)