Day 51

So it turns out I am not going home on Friday. During a routine exam today the doctors discovered that I have a hernia and will need to go to CHEO for surgery. Dad found some info on the Internet about hernias in preemies and it doesn't sound too bad. The doctor was able to tuck the lump back in so at this point it does not seem to be an emergency.

Inguinal hernias are very common in premature infants. In all male fetuses, during development, there is an opening that connects the abdominal cavity (which contains intestines and other organs) to the scrotum. Normally, this opening closes before birth. Premature infants (and even some full-term ones) may be born before this opening fully closes. When that happens, a small loop of intestine can slip through the opening and end up in the scrotum, where it is felt as a mass or lump.

An inguinal hernia doesn't cause any problems unless it gets trapped, which is then a medical emergency. To be safe, most doctors recommend having inguinal hernias fixed as soon as possible. Surgery is the only way to fix a hernia. Luckily, the operation is a simple one that surgeons do all the time. Most babies handle these operations very well. They don't seem to have a lot of pain. Within a day or so, they usually look as though nothing had happened (except for the presence of a very small surgical incision). The incision from a hernia repair usually heals to leave only a tiny scar that is barely visible.

We don't know when the surgeons can schedule the surgery but the best guess at this point is that I will be here until at least mid next week.