Incisional hernia

An incisional hernia is a hernia which occurs at or close to a previous surgical incision which hasn’t completely healed, in which the surgical incision acts as the hernia “gate”. It’s the most common complication of laparotomy. It occurs in 10 – 15% of patients.

It occurs most commonly in obese and those with poor abdominal muscle tone. It presents as an abdominal bulge at the site of the incision. In some cases, the separated edges can be palpated.

Treatment

These hernias may be closed surgically if necessary or managed expectantly. Incisional hernia is managed with tension-free mesh repair. This may be accomplished open or laparoscopically. Unfortunately, the recurrence rate of incisional hernia reconstruction is quite high, 20 – 50%. ‎