ABSTRACT
A ventral hernia is any protrusion through the anterior abdominal wall with the exception of the inguinal area. Ventral defects include those found in the umbilical, epigastric, Spigelian, incisional, and parastomal locations. Five to fifteen per cent of laparotomies will result in ventral incisional hernias, with the incidence of incisional hernia rising to nearly 40 per cent following wound infection.1,2
Approximately 100 000 ventral hernias are repaired in the USA each year, comprising about 13 per cent of all hernia repairs annually.
