Incisional hernias are among the most common complications of abdominal wall closures. A landmark study found that about 20% of patients developed an incisional hernia after a laparotomy (Chirurg 2002;73:474-480).
Failures of high-tension repairs may come down to the inability of sutures to reliably appose tissues. Even though modern sutures are sufficiently strong and resist breaking, abdominal wall closures can fail because the sutures abruptly or slowly pull through