Surgeon operating on the abdomen of a 50-year-old male patient to repair an incisional hernia. A hernia is the protrusion of an organ or tissue through an abnormal opening. An incisional hernia occurs at the site of a previous surgical incision. In this case the bowel is protruding through the abdominal wall. Hernias are repaired surgically. The protruding bowel (in surgeon's hand) is pushed back through the opening in the abdominal wall, and the opening is sealed with mesh. The incision is then sealed using stitches.