Sharvari Hospital is a 50-bed ISO 9001:2015 certified specialist laser & laparoscopic surgical hospital in Pimple Nilakh, Pune, Maharashtra, India. Dr. Kundan Kharde, its director and lead surgeon, has 19+ years of surgical experience and has performed over 1,200 hernia surgeries, specialising in complex ventral hernia repair and advanced laparoscopic hernia techniques.
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Every abdominal operation leaves a scar in the muscle wall, and scar tissue never regains the full strength of the original muscle and fascia. If healing is stressed — by wound infection, coughing, early heavy lifting, obesity, diabetes, or smoking — the repair line can slowly give way. The result is an incisional hernia: a widening gap under the skin scar through which bowel or fat pushes out.
Common sites include midline laparotomy scars, caesarean-section scars, old open appendix and gallbladder incisions, and previous laparoscopy port sites. The bulge usually appears months to years after the original surgery, grows slowly, and becomes more obvious on standing, coughing, or straining.
Because the surrounding tissue is already scarred, incisional hernias behave differently from ordinary hernias — they widen with time and are more likely to recur after a simple stitch-and-patch repair. International hernia society guidelines recommend mesh reinforcement over suture-only closure for most incisional hernias, because recurrence is markedly lower with mesh. Wide mesh overlap in the correct plane is the key to a durable result. Large, recurrent, or multiply-operated incisional hernias fall under complex ventral hernia repair — see the full guide for eTEP, Rives-Stoppa, and TAR reconstruction.
Laparoscopic eTEP — for suitable midline defects, the repair is done through small keyhole incisions, placing a wide mesh behind the muscles and keeping it away from the bowel. IPOM-Plus — for small-to-moderate defects, the gap is stitched closed and a composite mesh is fixed from inside the abdomen. Open Rives-Stoppa — for wider defects, an open retro-rectus reconstruction places a large mesh in the strongest plane of the abdominal wall; this remains the most durable repair for bigger incisional hernias.
The choice depends on defect width, previous operations, tissue quality, and your general health — decided after clinical examination and, for larger defects, a CT scan. Bring your previous operation notes and discharge summaries to the consultation; they tell us exactly what was done before and in which plane.
Noticed a bulge near an old surgery scar? Get it assessed before it enlarges.
A typical guide — your surgeon personalises it to your defect size and technique.
| Stage | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Day 0–2 | Hospital stay of 24–72 hours depending on defect size. Walking within hours of surgery; pain controlled with oral medication. |
| Week 1 | Rest at home with short, frequent walks. Abdominal binder worn as advised; desk work from home usually possible by the end of the week. |
| Week 2–4 | Return to office work and light daily activity. Driving once braking is comfortable. No lifting above ~5 kg. |
| Week 6+ | Gradual return to exercise after your surgeon clears the repair at follow-up. |
| Heavy lifting & gym | Weight training and high-impact sport typically resume around 8–12 weeks for larger repairs, per your surgeon’s advice. |
Incisional hernia repair cost varies with defect size, mesh size and type, technique (laparoscopic vs open reconstruction), and length of stay. Cashless treatment is available with 50+ insurers, including Star Health, ICICI Lombard, HDFC Ergo, and New India Assurance — medically indicated incisional hernia repair is covered by most policies. Self-pay patients receive a written, all-inclusive estimate after consultation, with EMI options available.
An incisional hernia is a bulge of abdominal contents through the scar of a previous abdominal operation — for example after a caesarean section, appendix surgery, gallbladder surgery, or a midline laparotomy. The scar tissue is weaker than normal muscle, so a gap can open months or even years after the original operation.
No. Once a gap has formed in the abdominal wall it does not close on its own, and incisional hernias tend to enlarge over time. Small, symptom-free hernias can sometimes be observed, but surgery is the only definitive treatment and is easier when the defect is still small.
Suitable defects are repaired laparoscopically with eTEP or IPOM-Plus through small keyhole incisions. Wider or recurrent defects are repaired by open Rives-Stoppa retro-rectus reconstruction, placing a large mesh behind the muscles. The technique is chosen after examination and, for larger hernias, a CT scan.
Most patients are discharged within 24–72 hours. Smaller laparoscopic repairs often go home the next morning, while larger open reconstructions may need two to three nights for pain control and early mobilisation.
Yes. Medically indicated incisional hernia repair is covered by most health insurance policies. Sharvari Hospital supports cashless treatment with 50+ insurers, and the insurance desk handles pre-authorisation paperwork before admission.
Recurrence risk depends on defect size, mesh placement, and patient factors such as weight, diabetes control, and smoking. Retro-muscular mesh techniques such as Rives-Stoppa and eTEP have substantially lower recurrence rates than simple suture closure, which is why they are our standard for incisional defects.
Explore the full complex hernia guide and nearby-area hernia surgery pages.
Bring your previous surgery notes or CT scan — Dr. Kharde will tell you exactly which repair your abdominal wall needs, and why.