Ventral hernia and obesity: is there a consensus?

The prevalence of obesity worldwide is increasing. With it, obesity associated co-morbidities are also on the rise. On such complication concerning the abdominal wall is “hernia”. Similarly, annually a high volume of abdominal laparotomies are performed worldwide, especially in young. Rising life expectancy, increasing prevalence of obesity and comorbidities like diabetes has ultimately led to an increasing prevalence of incisional hernias. When combined together, general surgeons and bariatric surgeons are faced with a new dilemma: an obese patient with an abdominal wall hernia. This review briefly summarizes the impact of obesity on the natural history of hernia, its associated complication, management strategies and options.