In an open surgery, your surgeon will make an incision large enough to remove scar tissue and fat from your abdominal wall near the hernia. They ...SkiptomaincontentImportantUpdatesforVisitorstoMSKForthesafetyofourpatientsandstaff,wenowrequestthatallvisitorstoMSKarefullyvaccinatedagainstCOVID-19.Readthe latestinformationforvisitors.ThisguidewillhelpyougetreadyforyourabdominalincisionalherniasurgeryatMemorialSloanKettering(MSK).Itwillalsohelpyouunderstandwhattoexpectduringyourrecovery.Readthroughthisguideatleastoncebeforeyoursurgeryanduseitasareferenceinthedaysleadinguptoyoursurgery.BringthisguidewithyoueverytimeyoucometoMSK,includingthedayofyoursurgery.Youandyourhealthcareteamwillrefertoitthroughoutyourcare.BacktotopAboutYourSurgeryAboutabdominalwallherniasYourabdominalwall,whichismadeupofmuscles,protecttheorgansinyourabdomen(belly).Aherniahappenswhenanorganorfattytissuesqueezesthroughaweakspotintheabdominalmusclesorconnectivetissue(seeFigure1).Figure1.AnabdominalherniaOnetypeofherniaisanincisionalhernia.Anincisionalherniacandeveloparoundtheincision(surgicalcut)inthescartissuefromanearliersurgery(seeFigure2).Thiscanhappeninanysurgerythatwasdoneinyourabdominalareafromthebreastbonedowntothegroin.Figure2.AnabdominalincisionalherniaIfyouhaveanincisionalhernia,youmaynoticeaswellingorabulgeunderyourskinwhereyouhadyourprevioussurgery.Youmayalsohavediscomfortinyourabdomenwhenliftingorbending.AboutyourherniasurgeryYou’llneedsurgerytofixyourhernia.Therearedifferenttypesofherniasurgeries,includinganopensurgeryoralaparoscopicsurgery.Yoursurgeonwillspeakwithyouaboutwhattypeofherniasurgeryisbestforyou.LaparoscopicsurgeryInalaparoscopicsurgery,yoursurgeonwillmakeafewsmallincisionsinyourabdomen.Yourabdomenwillbeinflatedwithairsothatyoursurgeoncanseeyourorgans.Yoursurgeonwillinsertathin,lightedscopecalledalaparoscopethroughtheincision.They’llinserttoolstorepairtheherniathroughtheotherincisions.OpensurgeryInanopensurgery,yoursurgeonwillmakeanincisionlargeenoughtoremovescartissueandfa