Mr Trif Papettas FRCS · Hernia Surgery · Warwickshire
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Patient guide · Hernia surgery

Incisional hernias: why they happen after surgery — and how they're repaired

Mr Trif Papettas FRCS By Mr Trif Papettas FRCS, Consultant Colorectal & General Surgeon · Reviewed

An incisional hernia is a bulge that appears through the scar of a previous operation. Here is why they develop, how modern surgical technique reduces the risk, and how they are repaired.

What an incisional hernia is

When an abdominal wound heals, the deeper layers can occasionally leave a weak point through which tissue later pushes, creating a bulge along or near the old scar. It can appear months or even years after the original surgery.

Who is at higher risk

How they can be prevented

How the original incision is closed makes a measurable difference. Recent high-quality evidence supports a “small bites” technique for closing midline incisions, which lowers the rate of incisional hernias compared with taking larger bites of tissue. Alongside good technique, addressing modifiable risks — weight, smoking, blood-sugar control — helps protect the repair.

How they're repaired

Many incisional hernias are repaired with keyhole or robotic-assisted surgery in suitable cases, reinforced with mesh. Larger or more complex hernias may need a more involved reconstruction of the abdominal wall — work that benefits from a surgeon experienced in complex repair.

Seek urgent help if the bulge becomes hard, tender and impossible to push back in, especially with pain, vomiting or fever.

Related guidesRecurrent and complex herniasWhen robotic repair helps

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Consultant-led hernia assessment across Warwickshire — Leamington Spa, Warwick and Stratford. No GP referral required.

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Common questions

What is an incisional hernia?
A hernia that pushes through the weakened scar of a previous abdominal operation, sometimes months or years later.
Why did I get a hernia after surgery?
Contributing factors include wound infection, being overweight, diabetes, smoking, straining, and large or emergency incisions.
Can incisional hernias be prevented?
The risk is reduced by good wound-closure technique — such as the small-bites method — and by addressing weight, smoking and blood-sugar control.
How are incisional hernias repaired?
Often with keyhole or robotic surgery and mesh reinforcement; larger ones may need abdominal wall reconstruction.
Mr Trif Papettas FRCS

Mr Trif Papettas FRCS

Consultant Colorectal & General Surgeon at Nuffield Health Warwickshire Hospital, Leamington Spa. Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, JAG dual-accredited in colonoscopy and gastroscopy, with a large personal case volume in open, keyhole and robotic-assisted hernia repair — including complex and recurrent cases.