Incisional hernias can develop after abdominal surgery. They happen after up to 15 to 20 % from trusted Source of abdominal operations involving incisions. Certain factors may increase or decrease your risk for developing an incisional hernia.
Symptoms of Abdominal Incisional Hernia
The most noticeable symptom of an incisional hernia is a bulge near the incision site. It’s often most visible when you strain your muscles, such as when you stand up, lift something, or cough.
Besides a visible bulge, incisional hernias might also cause:
- nausea and vomiting
- fever
- burning or aching near the hernia
- abdominal pain and discomfort, particularly around the hernia
- faster heartbeat than usual
- constipation
- diarrhea
- thin, narrow stool
While you’re most likely to develop a hernia between three and six months after your surgery, hernias can occur before or after this time frame.
Reducible vs. irreducible
Hernias are often categorized as reducible or irreducible:
Reducible hernias can be pushed back in. They may also shrink when you lie down.
Irreducible hernias happen when part of your intestine pushes into the hernia, making it hard to push the hernia back in.
Irreducible hernias can lead to bowel obstruction, which can then lead to a strangulated hernia. This requires immediate treatment.
Causes of Abdominal Incisional Hernia
Incisional hernias happen when the surgical cut in your abdominal wall doesn’t close properly after surgery. This can cause your abdominal muscles to weaken, allowing tissue and organs to form a hernia.
Several things can prevent the surgical cut from healing properly, including:
- putting too much pressure on your abdomen
- becoming pregnant before the cut fully heals
- getting back into physical activities too soon after surgery
Sometimes, there’s no clear reason why a surgical cut doesn’t properly heal.
Hernias are more likely after emergency surgery or surgery that requires a large incision. If the edges of the wound aren’t properly aligned after surgery, the incision may not heal well, increasing the likelihood of a hernia. The sewing technique used to close the incision can also play a part.
About your hernia surgery
You’ll need surgery to fix your hernia. There are different types of hernia surgeries, including an open surgery or a laparoscopic surgery. Your surgeon will speak with you about what type of hernia surgery is best for you.
Laparoscopic surgery
In a laparoscopic surgery, your surgeon will make a few small incisions in your abdomen. Your abdomen will be inflated with air so that your surgeon can see your organs. Your surgeon will insert a thin, lighted scope called a laparoscopy through the incision. They’ll insert tools to repair the hernia through the other incisions.
Open surgery
In an open surgery, your surgeon will make an incision large enough to remove scar tissue and fat from your abdominal wall near the hernia. They may also apply a mesh patch to hold the weakened area in your abdominal wall. The mesh patch will be attached to your abdominal wall, covering the hole or weakened area beneath it. Over time, this patch will be absorbed by your inner abdominal wall.
Your surgery will take about 3 hours.