Locations
Office
Lansing, MI
Michigan State University
Lansing, MI
About
Bio
Minimally invasive surgery, General surgery, Bariatric surgery
SpecialtiesDoctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
General Surgery
Languages spoken
English
Doctor Q&A
61 Answers
41 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Looks good: I haven't had one fixed, but I have repaired them.
The bulge from the hernia should be gone. The skin incision is usually about the length as the ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 23-year-old male asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Straining, lifting: Abdominal straining and heavy lifting over a prolonged period of time can contribute to the development of umbilical and other hernias.
Some people... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old female asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Not usually: Menses can be affected by body stressors and overall poor health and nutrition. But umbilical hernia repair surgery is pretty minor and does not usua... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 23-year-old female asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
General Surgeon: Make an appointment with a general surgeon, and they can discuss surgery. It is a very common surgery, and if the hernia is pretty small, then you'll... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 28-year-old female asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
SEE A DOCTOR: The symptoms you're having are very serious. You should go to the er or see a general surgeon immediately. The surgeon will likely fix the hernia ve... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old male asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Scar, mesh, hernia?: The hard lump could possibly be scar tissue, or the hernia may have recurred (come back), or it could be mesh or the knot of a suture.
If the bulge... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Go to the ER: I recommend that he go to the er now. The surgeon will probably fix the hernia in the very near future, and your father should then feel better. The... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Usually pain: An umbilical hernia needs to be fixed immediately if intestines or other tissues are stuck in the hernia (incarceration), especially if their blood su... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Umbilical hernias: Umbilical (belly button) hernias are fairly common in children and adults. If you're able to "push it back in, " and it's not painful to your child, ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A male asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Surgery or wait: The only way to treat umbilical hernias is with open or laparoscopic surgery. If it's not causing pain, you can just continue your daily life. There... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Surgery: Umbilical hernia repair is a very common and usually straightforward surgery. Depending on the size, it can be done open (single incision) or laparos... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Damage intestines: The risks of having an umbilical hernia are that intestines can become trapped inside (incarcerated), and their blood supply can then be cut off (stra... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Pain/sleep meds: The amount of pain after umbilical hernia repair depends on if it was done open (single incision) or laparoscopically (multiple tiny incisions). You ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Meds, see surgeon: Within the first week after surgery, you can take the narcotic pain meds that the surgeon likely prescribed. If the pain is severe, isn't getting bet... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 62-year-old female asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Possible, not common: Diverticulitis is an infection of an outpouching (diverticulum), most commonly in the sigmoid colon (last part of the colon before the rectum). The s... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 28-year-old female asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Yes: You can have both a hiatal hernia and umbilical hernia. An umbilical hernia is a bulge through a defect in the abdominal wall at the belly button.
... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old female asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Well tolerated: Most small umbilical hernias are repaired with a single, small, curved, horizontal incision over the hernia site at the belly button. If the hernia i... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 28-year-old female asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Not usually: For smaller umbilical hernias, you can usually go home the same day. For larger hernias, especially if the surgeon makes a larger incision, then you ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
General Surgeon: General surgeons repair umbilical hernias. They can be fixed open (single larger incision) or laparoscopically (multiple tiny incisions).
Pediatri... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 40-year-old female asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Maybe not: If you have a small hernia that does not contain intestines and is not causing pain, then you may not need surgery right now. The hernia could get la... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 27-year-old female asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Possibly: If the pain worsens when you exercise, and especially if you see or feel a bulge in that area, then the hernia may have recurred (come back). If so, ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 52-year-old female asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Yes: Smoking increases your risk of not healing after surgery. You could also develop a wound infection or infection of the mesh, which could require addi... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 59-year-old male asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Bulge and pain: If the hernia has come back, it may look and feel similar to what you had before the first surgery. There will be a bulge at the belly button that ma... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 27-year-old male asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Usually not serious: Hi james,
since the hernia is small and contains only fat (from within the abdomen), it is unlikely that it will lead to incarceration or strangulat... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 64-year-old female asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
About 45 minutes: Umbilical hernia repair surgery can be done laparoscopically or open (both work very well). The surgeon will probably put mesh in to prevent recurren... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 27-year-old male asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Maybe not: If the hernia gets larger or causes much pain, then you should have it fixed. Since it does not seem that there are intestines caught in the hernia, ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old female asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Yes, it's common: Yes it's common to have bruising around the belly button after umbilical hernia repair surgery. If the skin of the belly button looks unhealthy or so... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Yes, mild pain: It is normal to have mild pain, especially with strenuous activity, at the site of an umbilical hernia repair for a few weeks after surgery. Severe p... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
No: Very mild discomfort at the site 7 months afterwards may be due to scar tissue. Any significant pain 7 months after surgery is not common. If there ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 59-year-old male asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
See a doctor: If you have pain and especially a bulge in the same area as your previous umbilical hernia, then it may have come back. If you have pain and think th... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Umbilical Hernia: You should definitely see a general surgeon, if you haven't already. If the hernia is bothersome to you or causes pain, then it should likely be fixe... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 23-year-old female asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Several thousand: It depends on how big the hernia is and how the surgeon fixes it (open or laparoscopically).
The total cost includes the surgeon's fee, the anesthe... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old female asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Umbilical Hernia: It is a small bulge at the belly button containing fat from within the abdomen. It is caused by a defect or weakening in the fascia, a thick layer of... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old female asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Usually no problem: Usually the surgeon will repair the umbilical hernia by placing a piece of synthetic, sterile mesh and sometimes closing the fascia overtop of the mes... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 54-year-old male asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Varies, insurance: Insurance should cover the cost of surgery.
The total bill may a few thousand dollars, depending on how big the hernia is, how complex it is, if yo... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
If you have pain: The most common reason that an umbilical hernia would need to be fixed is that the patient is bothered by pain and sometimes a bulge at the hernia sit... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
About 2-4 weeks: It depends. Recovery is longer for larger hernias (more than about 4 cm).
You can eat normal foods, walk, and climb stairs right after surgery.
... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
See a doctor: Your primary doctor or a general surgeon will be able to tell if you have an umbilical hernia.
If you have a bulge at your belly button that gets l... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 49-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Likely normal: Those symptoms are pretty normal after an umbilical hernia repair. If the symptoms don't get better or are concerning to you, definitely call your su... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Not really: An upper endoscopy (egd: esophagogastroduodenoscopy) looks for cancer and other pathology in the esophagus, stomach, and 1st and 2nd parts of the duod... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 30-year-old female asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Depends: If you need to have the umbilical hernia repair because it's causing pain, because it's large, or because it contains intestines, then you should have... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 40-year-old male asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Usually not: An umbilical hernia in adults may change in size, but it almost never goes away without surgery.
The surgery is very common, and you should be able... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old male asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
No: The hydrocolon therapy won't cause any problems with the previous umbilical hernia repair. The hernia repair site has healed and has formed scar tiss... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Umb. hernia repair: An umbilical hernia repair is fairly simple. It can be done open (single small incision) or laparoscopically (with multiple small incisions, long ins... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 40-year-old male asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Great questions: Umbilical hernias can cause pain, though it is usually worsened by straining of the abdominal muscles and heavy lifting. Pain specifically associated... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 46-year-old female asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
Yes: If the hernia causes significant pain at any time, it should be fixed. After surgery, depending on the size and type of repair, you may need to avoid... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
About 2 weeks: If your two-year old is about 20-25 pounds, then, depending on the size of your hernia and if it is repaired laparoscopically (with tiny incisions and... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old male asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
4-6 weeks: It depends on how big the hernia was, how big the mesh is, and if the hernia repair was done open or laparoscopically (with tiny incisions and a video... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old female asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
~4 days: It depends on how big the hernia was, how much dissection the surgeon had to do, and if it was done open (single larger incision) or laparoscopically ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. David Henryanswered
General Surgery 14 years experience
2 1/2-4 weeks: The recovery time is longer for large hernias (such as those that contain intestines) that are fixed with a large, open incision. Recovery for those ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
TestimonialsRecommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
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Recommendations
129
Thank you notes
HealthTap member
Mar 30, 2015
Dr. Henry is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Mar 31, 2015
Dr. Henry is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
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Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
Jefferson Medical College of Thomas jefferson University, PA
MD
Residency
Michigan State University
Awards
"Outstanding Laparoendoscopic Resident Award" - Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons
96.5th percentile nationally on FLS laparoscopy skills test
Provisional Patent on surgical mesh innovation
Affiliations
Michigan State University
Sparrow Hospital (Lansing, Michigan)
Jefferson Medical College
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