Nov 16, 2020 WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: Laparoscopic herniorrhaphy, also known as transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) repair, is surgery to repair a hernia. A hernia may occur when the muscle layers in your abdomen (stomach) weaken. The weakened muscle layers allow your tissues or organs to push through. An abdominal hernia occurs when an organ or other piece of tissue protrudes through a weakening in one of the muscle walls that enclose the abdominal cavity. The sac that bulges through the weak area may contain a piece of intestine or fatty lining of the colon (omentum) if the hernia occurs in the abdominal wall or groin.
About the Program
The Massachusetts General Hospital’s Hernia Center offers state-of-the-art surgical repair for all types of abdominal hernias, particularly for complex and complicated cases. A hernia is a defect in the abdominal musculature that allows fat or abdominal contents to protrude through the abnormal opening. Hiatal or paraesophageal hernias are also treated through our Gastroesophageal Surgery Program.
Leaders in Hernia Surgery
Our legacy in treating hernias dates back to 1811, when Mass General surgeons first began treating hernias. Today, our surgeons perform a high volume of hernia repair surgeries each year—more than 1,600 procedures in the most recent calendar year. Research demonstrates that high-volume experience results in improved patient outcomes. Our surgeons are board-certified, Harvard Medical School-affiliated physicians who specialize in repairing hernias. This specialization requires rigorous advanced training and a highly focused clinical practice. Our center is also a referral site for complicated hernia cases.
![Herniorrhaphy pronunciation Herniorrhaphy pronunciation](/uploads/1/1/9/5/119529267/154019250.jpg)
Multidisciplinary Hernia Care
Whether your condition requires care from one specialist or an entire team, our surgeons work side by side with your entire treatment team to develop a personalized care plan to treat your condition. In some cases, such as complex reconstructions, we may work with surgeons from the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery to perform procedures and help coordinate the most appropriate course of care for you.
Conditions We Treat
Herniorrhaphy Vs Hernioplasty
The types of hernias we treat include:
- Epigastric hernias, which are often present at birth and similar to umbilical hernias
- Femoral hernias, which occur when part of the intestines bulge through a weakness in the groin area
- Incisional hernias, which occur as a result of incompletely healed surgical wounds
- Inguinal hernias, which occur in the groin area
- Spigelian hernias, which are a type of abdominal hernia
- Umbilical hernias, which occurs when part of the intestines protrude through an opening in the abdominal muscles
- Ventral hernias, a type of incisional hernia
Our Procedures
Our surgeons are particularly skilled in assessing hernias and determining their appropriateness for open or laparoscopic surgery. We offer the full range of surgical options to repair hernias, including:
- Complex reconstructions
- Mesh implantation, a technique used to repair most groin hernias. Most open inguinal hernia repairs are performed as an outpatient procedure under local anesthesia
- State-of-the-art robotic assisted hernia repair
![Hernia physiopedia Hernia physiopedia](/uploads/1/1/9/5/119529267/923106087.jpg)
Research & Clinical Trials
Our surgeons are accomplished researchers who are at the forefront of the latest surgical and medical innovations.
Our Surgeons
Herniaorthy
Our surgeons are board-certified, Harvard Medical School-affiliated physicians who specialize in repairing hernias.
Herniorrhaphy Statistics
- Trauma, Emergency Surgery and Surgical Critical Care
- Department of Surgery
- Co-Director Gastroesophageal Surgery Program
- Professor in Surgery, Harvard Medical School
- Director of the Mass General Weight Center
- Director of the Codman Center for Clinical Effectiveness in Surgery
- Chief of Surgery
- Chief , Division of General Surgery at Newton-Wellesley Hospital
- Chief, Acute Care Surgery at Newton-Wellesley Hospital
- Associate Chair, (Education) Department of Surgery at Newton-Wellesley Hospital
- Department of Surgery
- Trauma, Emergency Surgery and Surgical Critical Care
- Department of Surgery
- Division Chief of Trauma, Emergency Surgery and Surgical Critical Care
- John F. Burke Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School
- General and Gastrointestinal Surgery
- Department of Surgery