Question: I have a reducible umbilical hernia.

A friend of mine also has a reducible hernia, and he says the pain increases when the hernia is protruding - to the point of putting him in ER - but when he reduces the hernia, the pain goes away. Is it common for pain to occur with protrusion of hernia, for it to disappear when the hernia is reduced?

Thank you very much Dr. Kaltari. I appreciate your feedback a lot. During the period of time leading up to surgery, if the hernia patient manually reduces the hernia himself to mitigate pain, is there any significant risk of incarceration or strangulation in doing this? That is to say, can manual reduction potentially worsen hernia by inadvertently causing incarceration or strangulation?

Thank you Dr. Deepak! My father read your responses to me, and when he read about you wishing us a healthy and happy life, he said, “What a nice man. I like this guy.” I am scheduling an elective surgery appointment as you suggest. Meanwhile, I am wondering at what point the pain necessitates emergent care? I was in ER in the summer for pain from the hernia, and discharge instructions said to return to ER if abdominal pain increases. The pain has been increasing over time, which I ‘ve read can be indicative of incarceration. It can regularly feel like I have been punched in the stomach, and can keep me up at night. I have no traditional strangulation markers – localized tenderness, discoloration, nausea/vomiting, bowel movement difficulties, rapid heart rate, or fever – the exception being sudden intensifying pain, which I can get and which can be as high as a 10 on a 1-10 scale. That said, my physician was able to reduce it to a totally flattened state in a matter of minutes, and I can reduce it myself, albeit it takes me significantly longer to do so. I have read trapped fat can be especially painful, and an ultrasound in October found a “supraumbilical anterior abdominal wall hernia containing fat with the abdominal wall defect measuring approximately 6 mm.” My father and I wish you and your loved ones an exceedingly happy and healthy life as well.

You're welcome and thank you and you take good care too Dr. XXXXXXX I appreciate your medically insightful information so much, and my father says you are on his God bless you list.