The body is no different to any other structure and the seams or joins are always the weakest link. Too tight or too loose and a seam will either not work or will tear. The abdomen is surrounded by numerous muscles to keep the stomach, small intestine, and colon in place, but if one of these organs slips though a weakness or a hole in the muscles, it becomes a hernia. Other parts of the body can also have organ herniation. For example, people often talk about their back having ‘slipped a disc’, which is actually inaccurate as the situation is caused by interior spine material ‘herniating’ out from between the discs. A hernia is a bulge or protrusion of an organ through a muscle or other structure that normally serves to keep it contained.
People are normally referring to the abdomen or groin when talking about hernias. As lead London hernia specialist Mr Arjun Shankar explains in his authoritative article, there are many types of these abdominal hernias including hiatal, umbilical, or incisional.
So what are Midline Hernias?
Midline Hernias are hernias that occur in the midline of the abdomen and are the second most common form. Repairs used to involve stitching and sutures, but these have now been replaced by mesh repairs and this has led to significant reductions in recurrence rates. The technological advances for midline hernia meshes allow them to be safely placed within the abdomen directly onto the bowel. This provides the most mechanically strong repair for what are often complex areas of weakness. Latest Expert Advice on Surgery for Hernias.
