What kind of doctor repairs umbilical hernias? plastic surgeon? pediatric surgeon?

Depends: Usually a general surgeon performs repairs of umbilical hernias. If you are talking about a young child, then a pediatric surgeon would be appropriate. Some plastic surgeons may repair if it is in the course of other procedure being performed.

General surgeon: General surgeons repair all kinds of hernias, including umbilical hernias. Certainly, pediatric surgeons perform these repairs in children, too.

PEDIATRIC SURGEON: The surgical care of children is best done by a pediatric surgeon with training and experience in the evaluation and treatment for your child.

Pediatric & General: Surgeons repair umbilical herniae. However, in young kids we wait until close to school age before considering repair, because there is a high rate of spontaneous closure in the first 3 years of life, and the incidence of hernia complications (eg, incarceration) in kids is quite low. The incidence of hernia complications rises in older patients, so a persistent umbilical hernia should be repaired.

Depends: Pediatric surgeons fix hernias in kids and occasionally urologists will fix a groin hernia if associated with a varicocele. I occasionally repair a hernia on a tram flap if i did the original surgery and will fix an occasional hernia discovered incidentally at the time of a tummy tuck. But the majority of hernias are repaired by general surgeons.

General or Ped surg: General surgeons can fix almost all umbilical hernias. They can be repaired with open surgery (single larger incision) or laparoscopically (multiple tiny incisions). Pediatric surgeons can fix umbilical hernias in kids and adolescents, usually up to age 18.