Introduction

Figure 1: The main primary herniae are depicted in red in the diagram

A hernia is known in layman's terms as a rupture. A reasonable medical definition is;

An abnormal protrusion of an organ through the walls of the cavity that normally contain it

Herniae are very common. The lifetime risk of an inguinal hernia is 27% in men and 3% in women. It is a very common surgical operation, with 8% of all operations in the United Kingdom being hernia repairs.

Hernia formation following surgery is a very common occurrence;

• 20% colostomies
• 10% ileostomies
• 10-40% laparotomies

If a hernia develops following an incision it is termed an incisional hernia. If the heria occurs through an incision beside a stoma it is termed a parastomal hernia.