A hernia is an opening or weakness in the wall of a muscle, tissue, or membrane that normally holds an organ in place. If the opening or weakness is large enough, a portion of the organ may protrude through the opening.
With an incisional hernia, surgery actually weakens the muscle tissue in the abdomen, creating a defect that allows part of the intestines to protrude.
Incisional hernias form when a surgical incision in part of the abdomen fails to heal properly and close all the way. Incisional hernias can form a lump that may get bigger when someone is coughing or straining. They also can be painful, become large, and lead to serious complications if not treated. Treatment for an incisional hernia involves surgery to repair the defect.
Even small incisional hernias can lead to serious medical issues, so they should be repaired soon after they're diagnosed. Incisional hernias may come back following surgery, but advances in surgical techniques are making this less and less likely to happen.
All A to Z dictionary entries are regularly reviewed by KidsHealth medical experts.
|American College of Surgeons The website of the American College of Surgeons provides consumer information about common surgeries such as appendectomy.|
|Hernia Resource Center This site has information about hernias and hernia repair surgery.|
|Hernias A hernia is an opening or weakness in the wall of a muscle, tissue, or membrane that normally holds an organ in place. Learning to prevent hernias isn't hard to do - check out these tips.|
|Hernias Hernias are fairly common in kids and hernia repair is the one of the most common surgeries performed on children.|
|A to Z: Hernia, Umbilical Learn about hernias and conditions that affect the abdomen and bellybutton.|
|A to Z: Hernia, Inguinal Learn about hernias and conditions that affect the lower abdomen and reproductive organs.|
|A to Z: Hernia, Epigastric Learn about hernias and conditions that affect the abdomen and abdominal muscles.|
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