A study of clinical profile of ventral hernias in a tertiary care hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Abdominal wall hernias are a familiar surgical problem. Millions of patients are affected each year, presenting most commonly with primary ventral, incisional, and inguinal hernias. A ventral hernia is defined by a protrusion of an organ or tissue through a defect in the anterior abdominal wall fascia. Ventral hernia constitute 4% of total hernia patient admitted in ward. The aim is to study the varied presentations, etiology, distribution according to age /sex, predisposing factors, anatomical distribution of ventral hernias. Materials and Methods: This is a prospective descriptive study. Present study was conducted over a period from August 2019 to August 2021. During the study period, 50 patients of ventral hernias were included. Results: Incisional hernias constituted 46% of all ventral hernias. Female preponderance was seen in incisional hernias with Female to male ratio is 1. 9:1, where as in epigastric and umbilical / para umbilical hernias male predominance was seen. Most of the ventral hernias presented in 4th to 6th decades. 78% of ventral hernias were uncomplicated at the time of presentation. Swelling was the most common complaint followed by pain.