At what age do doctors perform surgery for hernias in children? how soon can doctors perform the surgery to correct a hernia?

Children : Children with a hernia can fix it at any age as long as the child is healthy. It is very important to specify what kind of hernia is being discussed. Some hernia at the umbilicus (belly button) will close on their own and usually do not need to be fixed but some do. Most groin or inguinal hernias need to be fixed and surgery usually is performed at any age it is discovered and when the child is healthy enough to undergo surgery. Rarely it is performed in an emergency situation.

If : If the question is about inguinal or groin herniae, they should be repaired soon after diagnosis. Left unrepaired, the incidience of complications, such as incarceration (bowel getting stuck in the hernia), is highest in the youngest age groups. Anesthesia these days is very safe, even in young babies. The younger the child or baby, the more you want to have a surgeon especially skilled in his or her hernia repair, such as a pediatric surgeon. If the question is about umbilical herniae, the answer is different. Umbilical herniae are the only herniae of the abdominal wall that tend to close spontaneously, usually in the first few years of life. In addition, the incidence of complications with umbilical herniae is quite low in kids but increases significantly in adults with a persistent umbilical hernia. I therefore watch them in babies & young toddlers. If they persist to near school-age, say 4 to 5 years of age, they are probably not going to fix themselves at that point, & i recommend repair.

Hernia : Hernia surgerry can be performed at any age assuming the baby is healthy and does not have any otherr major medical conditions that would preclude surgery. It is a simple and very staight forward surgery performed as an outpatient procedure.