A hernia is a condition in which a part of an organ pushes through the opening of the organ wall made up of muscle tissue or membranous material. The most common site for hernias to develop is the abdomen. Hernias may or may not display any outward symptoms. Hernias are usually treated surgically. If the blood supply at the herniated portion is cut off then it becomes a medical emergency. Muscle weakness and straining too hard at an activity can cause hernias. A person born with weak abdominal muscles is more likely to acquire the condition, particularly if he leads a sedentary lifestyle without any form of exercise.

The hiatus is a normal opening in the muscle that separates the chest cavity from the abdomen which moves up and down with breathing. Although the hiatus is a normal opening, there are occasions when this opening enlarges and the stomach or other organs can slip up inside the chest. This occasion of an abnormally large opening of the hiatus is called a hiatal hernia. Paraesophageal hernias account for only 5% of all hiatal hernias. A paraesophageal hernia is a type of hiatal hernia where the junction of the stomach and the esophagus remains in place, but part of the stomach is squeezed up into the chest beside the esophagus.

While it is important to keep in mind that ventral hernia surgery and abdominoplasty are two distinct operations, they are performed in the same area (lower abdomen) and address problems that often have a common origin. While the need for an operation may be driven by the hernia repair, performing it together with abdominoplasty is usually a safe and practical combination. In addition to having a diagnosed ventral hernia from whatever cause, two conditions account for about 95% of patients interested in combining hernia surgery with abdominoplasty. One condition is associated with women who have had one or more children, which left them with stretch marks and an abdominal wall musculature permanently deformed by carrying a baby. The other is the result of massive weight loss, where the patient develops folds of overhanging skin. In either case, abdominoplasty is required to correct for substantial and unsightly tissue and skin.

Parastomal hernia occurs when a weakness in the muscles of the abdominal wall allows a loop of bowel or other tissue to protrude out, resulting in a bulge or swelling around the stoma. Other symptoms include discomfort at the stoma site, abdominal distention, back pain, intermittent cramping, changes in stoma function and an increase in leakage due to poor fit of stomal appliances.

A hernia might develop at a point of weakness caused by a previous surgical incision. A small out pouching that occurs months to years at a previous incision may be a sign of a hernia. Patients may witness a small soft balloon-like sac protrusion due to slackening of the muscular wall of the abdomen or at the site of the previous operation. These balloon-like protrusions may change in size according to position and may disappear when the abdominal wall is completely relaxed such as when you are lying down. This defect in the layer surrounding the muscles of your abdominal wall is called a ventral or incisional hernia. Sometimes, internal organs or a loop of the intestine may get trapped in this sac and cause a dangerous condition heralded by severe pain and discomfort.

The small intestine is a long tube that is approximately 18 feet long (6 meters). The small intestine is called small because the diameter or the width of the tube is much less than the large intestine. The parts of the small intestine include the duodenum, jejunum and the ileum. The duodenum is a segment of intestine between the stomach and the jejunum that is very active in digestion where many different enzymes mix from the stomach, liver, gallbladder and pancreas.

The hiatus is a normal opening in the muscle that separates the chest cavity from the abdomen which moves up and down with breathing. Although the hiatus is a normal opening, there are occasions when this opening enlarges and the stomach or other organs can slip up inside the chest. This occasion of an abnormally large opening of the hiatus is called a hiatal hernia. Paraesophageal hernias account for only 5% of all hiatal hernias. A paraesophageal hernia is a type of hiatal hernia where the junction of the stomach and the esophagus remains in place, but part of the stomach is squeezed up into the chest beside the esophagus.