Question:
What is a hernia?

I am 8 months post op. I have a bump along side of my incision. I have read that this may be a hernia. What is a hernia? What is an incisional hernia? How do you get rid of it? Why do people say you get a tummy tuck with the repair of a hernia?    — Jennifer L. (posted on March 21, 2002)

March 21, 2002
A hernia is a weakness in a muscle wall. Incisional hernia means the weakness is from the incision. Once the muscle wall separates, if it happens on the abdomen, a part of your intestines will push through the weakness in the muscle wall, that causes a protrusion. Usually if it happens a person can lay down and the intestines will go back in or the person can GENTLY push the intestines back through the opening in the muscle wall. Coughing, staining and bearing down will make the protusion stick out more as it will force more of the intestines through the weakness in the muscle wall. Problems occur if the intestines come through and don't or won't go back under the muscle wall, the muscle wall can tighten around the intestines that have slipped through causing strangulated bowel. If that happens there's extreme pain and no bowel movements and a lot of vomiting since nothing can go through the intestines. Some bumps on the side of an incision can be scar tissue, cysts, a suture that hasn't dissolved or a host of other things. Keep your follow up appointments with your surgeon, they can usually tell whats going on. Severe pain with vomiting must be seen in ER.
   — Helen B.