HIG (SA) Guidelines for the Management of Ventral Hernias

Ventral hernia is one of the most common general surgical pathologies. An estimated 20 million patients with hernias are operated on worldwide every year, of which approximately 30% are ventral. An incisional hernia will develop in 10 – 15% of patients with an abdominal incision and the risk increase to up to 23% in those who develop surgical site infection 1,2 and incidence rates up to 69 % have been reported in high-risk patients. 3 Ventral hernia repairs are mostly elective (90%) procedures, but the repair methods are highly variable. Repair methods are often not based on current best practices and results can be disappointing. 4 Few surgeons audit or record their outcomes outside of those countries with national registries.