Incisional hernia: documented results
In incisional hernia the goal is not aesthetic: it is to rebuild a wall that has lost continuity, bringing the rectus muscles back to the midline and giving the abdomen its capacity to contain and to support the trunk again. The images show the reduction of the bulge; the quality of the reconstruction is assessed with CT and with function, not with a photograph.
In wide defects the photographic comparison is the most striking, and also the most delicate to interpret: the outcome depends on the size of the defect, on previous operations and on the general condition of the person.
How to read these images
These photographs are clinical documentation, not advertising for a result. The timing of the follow-up changes everything: in the first months postoperative swelling is still present and scars are more visible than they will eventually be. The shape of the abdomen also depends on the starting point, on weight, on tissue quality and on how closely the recovery program is followed. No image can tell you what outcome is achievable in your case: that is established at the consultation, through clinical examination and imaging.
The images for this section are being prepared. In the meantime, during the consultation I show the documentation of cases comparable to yours.
Images published with specific written consent. Faces and identifying marks are not recognisable.
Your case is different from every case you see here
These images show how I reason. The answer about your case comes from the consultation: clinical examination, dynamic ultrasound and, when needed, CT.
Frequently asked questions about results
- Do before and after images guarantee the same result in my case?
- No, and they should not be read that way. They document what was achieved in that specific case, with that technique and from that starting point. The result achievable in your case is established at the consultation, with clinical examination and imaging.
- How many months after surgery are the post-operative photographs taken?
- It is stated case by case. Generally the useful images are those from three to twelve months: before that, swelling is still present and scars are redder and more raised than they will eventually be.
- Did the people consent to publication?
- Yes. Every image is published under written consent specific to publication, separate from consent to surgery and revocable at any time.
- Why are faces not shown?
- Because they are not needed, and because a patient's photograph is health data. The images are cropped to the abdominal region and identifying features are masked.
- Will the scar stay as it looks in the images?
- In most cases it continues to improve. A scar matures over twelve to eighteen months, changing in color and in how raised it is. Site, tension, genetics, smoking and sun protection all play a part.
- Can I see other cases similar to mine?
- Yes, at the consultation. I show documentation of cases comparable to your situation, including images of partial outcomes: they help you understand the real limits of what is achievable.