Giant Abdominal Wall Hernia

A giant abdominal wall hernia is a very large hernia of the abdominal wall that most often results from long standing ventral hernia and in many cases, failed multiple repair attempts.

This hernia is usually very difficult to repair because of large defect of the abdominal wall. To be repaired successfully, a technique of component separation can be used to allow the muscle and fascia (layer of fibrous tissue) to be sutured to each other in the midline to close the gap.

In the component separation technique the muscles are separated from each other to allow the tissue to be closed without tension. Most often this is reinforced with mesh, which is a medical material used to reinforce poly tissues.

Patients with giant ventral hernia who have had multiple failed repairs should not be discouraged from seeking a second opinion as they may be a candidate for component separation.