Laparoscopic repair of ventral incisional hernias: pros and cons.

Abdominal wall hernias are a familiar surgical problem. Millions of patients are affected each year, presenting most commonly with primary ventral, incisional, and inguinal hernias. Whether symptomatic or asymptomatic, hernias commonly cause pain or are aesthetically distressing to patients. These concerns, coupled with the risk of incarceration, are the most common reasons patients seek surgical repair of hernias. This article focuses on incisional hernias, reported to develop in 3% to 29% of laparotomy incisions.