There may be a massive flaw in this idea, namely that the abdomen needs to expand enough and this would restrict it.
Given that caveat, however, this is the problem to be addressed: Pregnancy frequently involves the development of a hernia along the midline of the abdomen. Patients who experience this are, unsurprisingly, advised to avoid hernia repair surgery until several weeks after giving birth, and also to protect their abdomen with their hands when coughing or doing other things which increase pressure in the abdomen.
My suggested solution is to place a vertical line of piercings on either side of the midline before pregnancy, with metal "staples" between them horizontally, but not linked to each other vertically. This would reinforce the abdomen and prevent ventral hernia while allowing the abdomen to expand. The piercings could be removed afterwards if desired.
Similar procedures could be used to reinforce other parts of the abdomen to prevent other hernias, for example stapling the scrotum.
-- nineteenthly, Apr 22 2009

Corset piercing http://bodypiercing...photo.php/photo/937
[spidermother, Apr 22 2009]

Wikipedia: Corset piercing http://en.wikipedia...iki/Corset_piercing
Very problematic when worn permanently laced. [jutta, Apr 22 2009]

Isn't there a disadvantage to creating a line or two of perforations around your mid-rift?
-- Aristotle, Apr 22 2009


It would be into the skin and down the midriff rather than across it. It doesn't go deep enough for it to be a problem. It does have the usual problems with piercings such as risk of infection, allergic reactions (if the wrong material's used) and keloid formation. People already have something similar done along the penis and between the scapulæ.
I imagine it being "unzipped" just before childbirth and removed later.
-- nineteenthly, Apr 22 2009


(-) This feels very very wrong.
Wouldn't one want something that distributes the pressure around the body (not anchors it in points on the skin), and that holds the muscle tissue (again, not the skin)? We're talking corsets, big wrapped-around pieces of cloth of some sort - not piercings!
-- jutta, Apr 22 2009


Yes, it may be wrong but i'm not sure. I know what you mean about the impression, it's just that i can't actually "pin it down", as it were, to a specific reason why it wouldn't work. What i think would happen is that there wouldn't be a problem with the linea alba itself, but there would be more strain lateral to it, along the edges of the rectus muscles. The question then is, would that strain lead to a different kind of hernia? It would be halved on each side, for a start. Then again, there is a ligament in the midline, suggesting the strain is highest there. The other aspect of it is whether the development of the fœtus would be affected.
Here's a thought: what if, instead of having metal bars joining them together, you either have adjustable curved pieces following the final contour of the abdomen? That way, the gradual growth can be accounted for.
Two other things: Firstly, yes, as with all piercing, there is a risk of infection, but that risk is mainly to the skin, not underneath it. Since i'm talking about starting before pregnancy, there would be more scar tissue and the healing process would have occurred already. It wouldn't still be going on during pregnancy. Secondly, whereas i may concede that this is rather imponderable without asking for volunteers, which is pretty unlikely to happen and quite unethical, i would still maintain that other kinds of hernias in other situations could be prevented or maybe even treated this way. For instance, the scrotal stapling still makes sense to me, but even more so other hernias along the midline such as the one above the umbilicus. What you'd be doing, to an extent, is reducing the strain where it's been highest along with encouraging the formation of scar tissue where it's needed most. I think that could speed up the healing process. The lateral stresses wouldn't be there to hold the hernia open and it might be easier for a wound to resolve if that wasn't there. Again, though, i'm not sure.
So, i suppose what i'm saying is, while it could be dodgy for pregnancy, i think it's applicable to some other situations where hernias can occur, and less invasive than a hernia operation. It also takes us back into the territory of the hairdresser surgeon, if you remember that.
Oh, and by the way: Wikipedia link picture - yuck; painfulpleasures picture - ouch!.
-- nineteenthly, Apr 22 2009


Stapling the scrotum, yep limit has been reached-
-- zeno, Apr 22 2009


Leaving aside the interest in doing odd things to people's nethers, other hernias are available. For instance, there's the femoral, umbilical and epigastric, and i really think that if you can leave aside reproductive-system related issues for a mo, piercing and stapling, say, the epigastric region or an incisional hernia makes sense to me. It would make more sense to do that than to delve around inside the peritoneum with the associated risks.
-- nineteenthly, Apr 22 2009


How often is often? Are there any signs as to indicate the 'solid stitching' would be needed?
-- wjt, Apr 22 2009



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