Incisional Hernia: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

After someone has undergone abdominal surgery, the muscle held in place by stitches can weaken over time, creating a defect in the abdominal wall. This condition sometimes causes tissues or intra-abdominal organs to protrude through this defect, creating a visible bulge. This condition is called a incisional hernia, and is a common complication after surgery.

Incisional Hernia Causes

The primary cause of an incisional hernia is the formation of a defect in the abdominal wall at the site of the incision from a previous abdominal surgery. Other common causes include conditions and activities that stress or weaken the abdominal wall, such as excessive body weight or obesity, smoking, lifting heavy objects or doing heavy manual work, diabetes, taking drugs that weaken the immune system such as chemotherapy drugs. At the same time, premature initiation of physical activity before the incisional wound has sufficiently healed, inadequate method of suturing the incision, pregnancy and advanced age increase the chances of developing an incisional hernia.

Incisional Hernia:Symptoms

Symptoms of incisional hernias include the appearance of a visible bulge in the affected area, pain ranging from mild to severe especially when the patient coughs, sneezes or lifts heavy objects, and bloating or constipation may occur. Most incisional hernias are not serious. However, they may increase in size over time and cause serious complications. In rare cases, the blood supply to the abdominal tissue or intra-abdominal organs protruding through the hernia may be cut off. This condition is a medical emergency and is treated immediately with surgery.

Incisional Hernia Treatment

Treatment for an incisional hernia can vary depending on each individual case. It is shaped by a person’s overall health, the location and severity of the hernia, and the person’s physical activity levels. In the majority, however, incisional hernias require surgery. Surgery to repair this particular form of hernia can be performed in two ways, either through open surgery or laparoscopic incisional hernia surgery.

In the case of open surgery, a large incision is made in the abdomen so that the tissue and protruding intra-abdominal organs are placed back in their original position. In many cases a special mesh of synthetic material may be placed over the weakened area to strengthen the abdominal wall, which reduces the risk of recurrence.

In laparoscopic hernia surgery, General Surgeons in Athens make several small incisions in the abdomen and then through one of these incisions they insert the laparoscope, a tiny tube with a camera attached to its end. This allows the interior of the abdomen to be viewed on a high-definition monitor so that surgery can be performed remotely, without the need for large incisions. After the repair of the hernia and damage to the abdominal wall, a special synthetic mesh is placed at the point of the defect in the abdominal wall to strengthen it.