Ascension Via Christi Hernia Center

A hernia is a hole in the wall of a body cavity. The body is designed as a series of compartments with barriers of tissue separating them. When the barriers between these compartments break down, the contents of one compartment can move into another compartment.

Imagine your yard next to your backyard with a fence separating the two properties. Imagine there is a hole in the fence and your cat can move between the two yards through the hole in the fence. For an abdominal wall hernia the fence is represented by your abdominal wall and the cat can represent intestine, fat, bladder or other organs.

Hernias can occur in both men and women. Some are born with them but many are acquired during the course of an active life.