A hernia develops when an internal part of your body, such as an organ, pushes through a weak area in the surrounding muscle or tissue. Ventral hernias are hernias in the wall of your tummy. Tissue or part of your bowel, such as the intestine, pushes through weak surrounding tummy muscles and causes a lump or bulge. This lump may be painful, especially when you cough, bend over or lift a heavy object.
A natural weakness in your tummy muscles may cause a ventral hernia. It can be associated with ageing or repeated strain on the tummy. In other cases, you may get a hernia in an area of your tummy where you had a previous operation. This type of ventral hernia is called an incisional hernia. It happens when tissue pokes through a surgical wound in your tummy that has not fully healed. You may notice a lump or bulge near the scar left by the operation.
Most incisional hernias do not return after they have been repaired. In some cases, however, another lump or bulge appears near the original hernia months or even years after surgery. This is called a recurrent hernia. The risk of a recurrent hernia is higher if your surgeon did not use mesh material to strengthen your tummy muscles. A recurrent hernia can be the most challenging type of hernia to repair. The procedure is more complex than the original operation, but we have specialised experience at Highgate Private Hospital. A recurrent incisional hernia can be repaired using either standard open or keyhole (laparoscopic) surgery. Your surgeon will explain their experience and discuss which type of procedure suits you best.
Here at Highgate Private Hospital, we have an expert team of hernia repair consultants. We offer an all-inclusive self-pay package for hernia repair. Prices for open surgery to repair a recurrent ventral or incisional hernia with a mesh on both sides and one follow-up appointment start from £3,439 (terms and conditions apply). For more information, please call our self-pay advisers on 020 3918 9463. You can find more details about hernia repair here.
