Incisional hernia.

Incisional hernias are a relatively common occurrence after abdominal operations, having been reported to occur in 2% to 11% of all patients undergoing such procedures. Although many hernias become manifest early, others may not be noted until many years after the index procedure. Predisposing factors for incisional hernia have been well described, and several of these can be altered by the surgeon, including the technique employed for repair. For many years, the repair of incisional hernia was associated with a high recurrence rate. In more recent years, the introduction of synthetic prosthetic materials has provided the opportunity to perform a tension-free repair, thereby reducing the rate of recurrence.