Incisional Hernia
through any previous surgical incision or scar on the
abdomen.
Why do Incisional Hernias occur?
Incisional hernias occur in up to 20% of abdominal incisions. They are more common in people who have had emergency operations, wound infections or who are obese. However they also occur in people who have none of these risk factors.
How do I know if I have an Incisional Hernia?
The most common symptom is a lump or bulge through your old incision. It may or may not be painful, but will become more pronounced when coughing, sneezing or straining. Overtime an incisional hernia will become more pronounced and grow in size, in particular it will become wider. Giant incisional hernias can develop and different organs from your abdomen can become contained within the hernia. Obstruction or strangulation is not common but does occur, particularly if there is a lot of old scar tissue, called adhesions, inside your abdomen and hernia.
What do I do if I have an Incisional Hernia?
The only way to fix an incisional hernia is with another operation. Incisional hernia operations can be long and complex operations, depending on the size of your hernia defect and the organs contained within your hernia. Depending on the size of the hernia and its symptoms, the patient’s current quality of life and other individual risk factors, some patients may decide that an operation is not in their best interests, but this requires an individual assessment.
Is there anything else I need before I can have my Incisional Hernia repaired?
At the Australian Hernia Centre we have pioneered preparing the abdominal wall muscles prior to surgery to repair incisional hernias. In most cases our patients have their oblique muscles temporarily “put to sleep” with the agent commonly used to stop facial muscles causing wrinkles, named Botulinum Toxin A (BTA) or more commonly known as Botox® or Dysport®. This agent temporarily relaxes the abdominal wall muscle and it can improve the outcome of your operation. A small group of patients with very large hernias may require additional preoperative preparation. These procedures are individualised and determined by the size of your hernia and other factors that we find on your initial diagnostic imaging. Your individual abdominal wall preparation plan will be discussed with you once a decision is made to have your hernia fixed surgically.
What else will happen during my initial Incisional Hernia assessment?
Imaging assessment and hernia diagnosis is a critical part of your initial assessment. All our patients will require a specialised CT scan of their abdominal wall that our team will organise during your assessment. The scan will be conducted at Castlereagh Imaging at Edgecliff or at MMI at Macquarie University Hospital. You and your GP do not need to organise any other diagnostic imaging prior to your first appointment, but if you have old abdominal CT scans please bring them with you.
Knowing your previous surgical history, in particular any previous abdominal and hernia surgery, can be very helpful as part of initial assessment of your incisional hernia. Where possible please bring any hospital documentation, operation reports, Surgeon’s correspondence and discharge letters. If you or your GP does do not have any of this information please bring as much as you can regarding previous abdominal operations including the Name of the Surgeon, the Name of the Hospital and date or year of your operation to help us track down information about your prior abdominal operations. If we need to do this you will be asked to sign a “Release of Information Form” to give us permission to access and release your medical information from these different sources. If you have any questions about this process please discuss them with your Hernia Surgeon.
Expert Care
At the Australian Hernia Centre, your Hernia Surgeon and our team have the expertise to manage all patients with large and complex incisional hernias, even when they have had previous operations that have been complicated or have failed. We will support you through all the aspects of your journey and work with you to give you the best possible outcome.