Hernias and abdominal wall defects

Abstract

A hernia is a protrusion of visceral contents through the abdominal wall. There are two key components of a hernia. The first is the defect itself, namely, the size and location of the defect. The second component is the hernia sac, which is a protrusion of peritoneum through the defect. The hernia sac may contain abdominal contents such as small intestine, colon, or bladder, or the sac may be empty. © 2008 Springer New York.