From ancient to contemporary times: a concise history of incisional hernia repair.

PURPOSE

This historical review explores the origins of incisional hernia surgery.

METHODS

Resources from each significant historical time period were reviewed, namely ancient times, the Greco-Roman period, the Middle Ages and the dawn of the surgeon anatomist, and the modern era.

RESULTS

Although incisional hernias only started to be widely reported in the literature in the early twentieth century, an awareness of the risk of incisional hernia formation dates back to ancient times.

CONCLUSIONS

Sometimes, it is important to look back at the history and evolution of a topic to continue making positive advances in that field.