Medical Minute: Supraumbilical Hernia (Hernia Above Bellybutton)

Actress Gabrielle Union, 47, celebrated Halloween by posting images of herself in a cheerleading uniform from her Bring It On movie days.

Many of you pointed out a noticeable lump above Union’s bellybutton. Your auntie is not a doctor, but the lump appears to be a supraumbilical hernia, which simply means a hernia above the bellybutton. A supraumbilical hernia should not be confused with an umbilical hernia.

What is a supraumbilical hernia?

According to Doctors NDTV, a supraumbilical hernia is a type of ventral or abdominal wall hernia. A supraumbilical hernia is less common than umbilical hernias that spontaneously close in some babies by age 3.

What causes a supraumbilical hernia?

A supraumbilical hernia is the result of a defect just above the umbilical ring muscle. The umbilical ring muscle weakens and allows fat or part of internal organs to protrude through the small hole.

The muscle defect combined with increased intra-abdominal pressure causes the hole to increase and allows more of the organ to protrude through. Increased intra-abdominal pressure can be caused by excessive or high-intensity exercises.

Unlike spontaneous umbilical hernias that may or may not require surgery to close, a supra-umbilical hernia usually always requires surgery to close.

There is usually no pain or discomfort at the hernia site. Surgery can wait a few months, unless the hernia begins to grow or causes discomfort.

How is a supraumbilical hernia treated?

A doctor will perform routine surgery under a general anesthetic to push the protrusion back inside the abdomen and close the hole. Stitches are used to strengthen the weakness in the muscle wall.

This has been your Medical Minute.
 

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Brought It. #CaliforniaLove

A post shared by Gabrielle Union-Wade (@gabunion) on Oct 27, 2019 at 1:50pm PDT

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This is 47! Some nuggets I've learned to embrace… As long as I got a plate (full or not) I'm gonna try to make sure everybody eats. If the seat you are offering me at your wack ass table means I cant sleep at night, that's a hard pass for me. I'll go to my grave creating the world's biggest most inclusive table centering the voices, lives and best interests of our most marginalized peoples. My time with my family is priceless. Admit when you are wrong. And dont offer terrible apologies that include "I'm sorry IF…" Center your joy, peace and grace. Always remember that not everyone is going to love you, like you or support you. That's not ANY of your business. You can STILL love them, support them and champion them & their work. You lose nothing celebrating folks, even the ones who would prefer you take a long walk off a short plank. Dont apologize for doing what's right for YOU. There is no pot of gold at the end of your life for doing what everyone else thinks you should. LIVE! Evolution is a beautiful thing. Just cuz you were a dumbass doesn't mean you have to STAY a dumbass. Learn, grow & evolve. Have fun with cool folks and dont leave until the lights come on!! Happy Birthday to meeeeeeeee ????????????????????

A post shared by Gabrielle Union-Wade (@gabunion) on Oct 29, 2019 at 10:20am PDT

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