Incisional hernia – what is it?

An incisional hernia is frequently found after many abdominal operations such as surgery of the stomach, the gall-bladder or appendectomy and others.
The hernia is nothing else, but a hole in the abdominal wall where the muscles and fascias that were cut have not healed together.

Any abdominal organ may slip through this hole and reach the space under the skin e.g. parts of the stomach, parts of the urinal bladder or any part of the intestine, even the spleen can be found in large incisional hernias (and all of them tend to become bigger with time).
This is of course a danger because these organs can also be strangulated in the hernia hole.

While smaller incisional hernias are often painful (so called “neuromas”, that are tumourous swollen nerve-endings, frequently found in these cases), bigger hernias are painless.

Operation methods

There are two different ways to close an incisional hernia:

• to sew the fascias and muscles which are bearing the hole, in a way that brings a double layer of tissue over the former hernia
• to implant an polypropylene- or goretex-mesh to cover the hole

As incisional hernias are very likely to recur, we prefer the mesh-technique since it offers much more protection for the patient and usually has much better results.
We still use the sewing-technique only in very small hernias and children.
The mesh-implantation can also be carried out by endoscopic surgery(in special cases), but we personally prefer an “open” technique that is usually much faster and allows us to correct the former scar and remove neuromas.
The operations (except very big hernias) may be carried out as an out-patient and with an superficial total anaesthesia.

 

 

After the operation

Our patients leave the surgery usually after two hours(except the big hernias: these patients stay in the clinic for one or two days). Depending on the individual case, you may begin to work and do sports after only a few days or some weeks.

How to find the optimal operation method?

Please fill in the hernia-repair-evaluation-form and send it to us:
We will send you an answer with an individual treatment plan within 24 hours.

For further information, please also see FAQ!