They are fairly common. You may experience pain with a ventral hernia, or have no pain at all. Typically, this type of abdominal hernia appears as a bulge in the abdomen that gets larger over time. Most ventral hernias are reducible, as their contents can be pushed back into the abdomen temporarily.

Is a ventral hernia serious?

Ventral hernias do not go away or get better on their own and require surgery to repair. In fact, without treatment, ventral hernias can get larger and worsen with time. Untreated hernias can become difficult to repair and can lead to serious complications, such as strangulation of a portion of the intestine.

Do all ventral hernias need surgery?

Ventral hernias cannot heal on their own. Most commonly, ventral hernias are surgically repaired in order to avoid the risk of the intestine becoming strangulated (cut off from the body's blood supply). Strangulation is considered a medical emergency.