Ventral/Incisional Hernia

An incisional hernia is a protrusion of tissue that typically forms at the site of a previous surgery/healing surgical scar. In this area the abdominal muscles have weakened, which therefore results in a bulge or a tear. This causes the inner lining of the abdomen to protrude through the weakened area of the abdominal wall to form a balloon-like sac. This can allow a loop of intestines or other abdominal tissues to push into the sac.This type of hernia accounts for 15-20 percent of all abdominal hernias.

People who had abdominal surgery are especially at-risk for developing incisional hernias. They are especially prone to Incisional Hernias three to six months following the procedure, when the tissues are still healing from the incision.

Factors such as strenuous exercise, substantial weight gain, or pregnancy can cause stress on the healing abdominal tissue and should be avoided during this healing window.

There are over 400,000 repairs of Incisional/Ventral Hernias performed each year in the U.S.