Ventral Hernia Repair

Ventral hernias occur when tissue pushes through a weak spot in your abdominal muscles, creating a bulge that can contain parts of organs like the intestines. On this page, we will explain the symptoms and how they are treated.

What are ventral hernias?

A ventral hernia occurs when tissue bulges through a weak opening in the muscles of your abdomen. The bulge can contain parts of organs like the intestines.

Ventral hernias often happens at the site of a previous abdominal surgery (incisional hernia). It can also occur in the navel area (umbilical hernia) or in the groin are (inguinal hernia).

Symptoms of a ventral hernia vary and develop over time. For some of you, the only noticeable sign will be a bulge in the abdominal area. This bulge can often be pushed back in, and the hernia won’t have any other impact on your day-to-day life.

For others, there may be pain and discomfort in the area surrounding the hernia which gets worse with coughing, standing or bending.

Ventral hernias won’t resolve by themselves and they may require medical treatment. Typically, when the hernia grows larger and causes discomfort, surgery may be required.