Open repair of an incisional hernia
This photo shows a traditional open repair of an incisional hernia. Hernias can be divided into different types, namely direct, indirect, femoral, and incisional. An incisional hernia is a type of hernia caused by an incompletely-healed surgical wound (scar left from a previous surgical operation). The hernia bulges in the abdominal area, often painful(sharp or dull ache), tender, and causes discomfort during any physical strain. The feared complication is if the hernia strangulates, i.e. the hernia contents (the intestine) get trapped and lose their blood supply, which can further lead to perforation and sepsis. During the "open" approach, the weakened spot is re-incised and a repair is reinforced using a prosthetic mesh. Nowadays, Laparoscopic incisional hernia repair is used more commonly, which uses surgical microscopes and specialized instruments, thus allows for a better healing and less post-op complications. Photo by @mikesurg1
