Hernia Repair Surgery

Learn about a minimally invasive option for hernia surgery. Common hernia procedures include ventral (abdominal) and inguinal (groin) hernia repair.

It’s about time

Many people put off having a hernia repair despite the discomfort it brings. But what is a hernia, and how can it be repaired?

A hernia is when tissue pokes out of a weak spot in your muscles. It can cause pain or pressure at the point of weakness. While this can happen in a number of places on your body, the most common are the abdomen (ventral hernia) and groin (inguinal hernia).

Developing a hernia is relatively common. Surgery is the only way to fix a hernia, though not all hernias need to be repaired. As many as one million hernia repairs take place each year in the U.S.¹

On this page you’ll find an overview of hernia repair options, information on minimally invasive hernia surgery, questions you can ask your doctor, and how to find a physician who performs da Vinci hernia repair.

Understanding your options

There are several types of hernia repair, including ventral hernia repair and inguinal hernia repair. The type of repair is determined by the location of your hernia. Your doctor will determine if you have a hernia by asking about your medical history and with a simple physical exam.²

Illustration showing how mesh is used for a hernia repair

A ventral hernia is located in the abdomen, while an inguinal hernia is located in the groin. During hernia repair surgery, your surgeon will carefully push any tissue back into place. Then, they will repair the weak spot or hole with stitches or suture. Mesh is then typically used to cover the weak area. This provides an extra layer of support to make the area stronger.^2,3

Minimally invasive hernia surgery

Traditionally, surgeons performed hernia through open surgery, which requires a large incision in or near your belly.³ The surgeon looks directly at the surgical area through the large incision and repairs the hernia using hand-held tools.

There are two minimally invasive hernia repair techniques—either laparoscopic or robotic. To perform laparoscopic hernia surgery, surgeons use long-handled tools while viewing magnified images from the laparoscope (camera) on a video screen.

Surgeon hands on davinci system controls

Robotic hernia procedures with da Vinci systems have become increasingly commonplace.⁴ Da Vinci robotic hernia procedures are performed through a few small incisions about the size of your fingertip. Incisions are made near the hernia site. Your surgeon sits at a console near you in the operating room. Through the console, the surgeon controls a camera and the instruments to perform your surgery.

The system delivers 3D high-definition views, giving your surgeon a clear view of the surgical area magnified 10 times what the human eye sees. It translates every movement your surgeon makes in real time, bending and rotating instruments that move like a human hand, but with a greater range of motion. Built-in tremor filtration technology helps your surgeon move each instrument with smooth precision.

Da Vinci robotic surgery outcomes

According to recent studies and data analysis on hernia repair, da Vinci surgery shows favorable outcomes including reduced opioid use compared open^5,7,8, fewer complications compared to open^8,10-13, and shorter hospital stay compared to open^8,9,11,12.

Every surgeon's experience is different. Be sure to talk with your surgeon about the surgical outcomes they deliver using the da Vinci system. For example, ask about:

Length of hospital stay
Complication rate
Transfusion and/or blood loss
Chance of changing to an open procedure
Length of operation

There are additional surgical outcomes you may want to talk about with your doctor. Please ask to discuss all important outcomes.

It’s important to remember that Intuitive does not provide medical advice. After discussing all options, only you and your doctor can determine whether surgery with da Vinci is appropriate for your situation. You should always ask about your surgeon’s training, experience, and patient outcomes.

Da Vinci system overview

Learn more about da Vinci system technology and more about robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery.

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What to expect

Explore what happens on the day of surgery with the da Vinci system and tips for planning and preparation.

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Hernia surgery brochure

Get further detail about hernia surgery options in our brochure designed for patients and their families

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Types of surgery with da Vinci systems

General surgeons perform robotic surgery using da Vinci systems in many types of procedures.

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https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/implants-and-prosthetics/surgical-mesh-used-hernia-repair
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/inguinal-hernia
https://www.sages.org/publications/patient-information/patient-information-for-laparoscopic-ventral-hernia-repair-from-sages/
Sheetz KH, Claflin J, Dimick JB. Trends in the Adoption of Robotic Surgery for Common Surgical Procedures. JAMA Network Open. 2020;3(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.18911
Forester, B., Attaar, M., Donovan, K. et al. Short-term quality of life comparison of laparoscopic, open, and robotic incisional hernia repairs. Surg Endosc 35, 2781–2788 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00464-020-07711-4
Chao TC, Tung HY, Tsai CH, et al. Laparoscopic versus robotic TAPP/TEP inguinal hernia repair: a multicenter, propensity score weighted study. Hernia. 2023;28(1):199-209. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10029-023-02916-7
LeBlanc K, Dickens E, Gonzalez A et al. Prospective, multicenter, pairwise analysis of robotic-assisted inguinal hernia repair with open and laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair: early results from the Prospective Hernia Study. Hernia. 2020;24(5):1069-1081. doi: 10.1007/s10029-020-02224-4
de’Angelis, N., Schena, C.A., Moszkowicz, D. et al. Robotic surgery for inguinal and ventral hernia repair: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Surg Endosc 38, 24–46 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00464-023-10545-5
Bittner J, Alrefai S, Vy M, Mabe M, Del Prado P, Clingempeel N. Comparative analysis of open and robotic transversus abdominis release for ventral hernia repair. Surg Endosc. 2017;32(2):727-734. doi: 10.1007/s00464-017-5729-0
Kudsi OY, Kaoukabani G, Bou-Ayash N, Friedman A, Vallar K, Crawford AS, Gokcal F, A comparison of clinical outcomes and costs between robotic and open ventral hernia repair, The American Journal of Surgery (2023), doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjsurg.2023.01.031
Bracale U, Corcione F, Neola D, Castiglioni S, Cavallaro G, Stabilini C, Botteri E, Sodo M, Imperatore N, Peltrini R. Transversus abdominis release (TAR) for ventral hernia repair: open or robotic? Short-term outcomes from a systematic review with meta-analysis. Hernia. 2021 Dec;25(6):1471-1480. doi: 10.1007/s10029-021-02487-5. Epub 2021 Sep 7. PMID: 34491460; PMCID: PMC8613152
B. Pokala, P. R. Armijo, L. Flores, D. Hennings, D. Oleynikov. Minimally invasive inguinal hernia repair is superior to open: a national database review. doi.org/10.1007/s10029-019-01934-8. Received: 19 October 2018 / Accepted:26 March 2019. Springer-Verlag France SAS, part of Springer Nature 2019
Gamagami R, Dickens E, Gonzalez A, et al. Open versus robotic assisted transabdominal preperitoneal (R-TAPP) inguinal hernia repair: a multicenter matched analysis of clinical outcomes. Hernia. 2018;22(5):827-836. doi: 10.1007/s10029-018-1769-1

Disclosures and important safety information

Important safety information

Patients should talk to their doctor to decide if da Vinci® surgery is right for them. Patients and doctors should review all available information on non-surgical and surgical options and associated risks in order to make an informed decision.

Serious complications may occur in any surgery, including da Vinci surgery, up to and including death. Serious risks include, but are not limited to, injury to tissues and organs and conversion to other surgical techniques which could result in a longer operative time and/or increased complications. For Important Safety Information, including surgical risks, indications, and considerations and contraindications for use, please also refer to www.intuitive.com/safety.

Individuals' outcomes may depend on a number of factors, including but not limited to patient characteristics, disease characteristics and/or surgeon experience.

Medical advice and locating a doctor

Patients should talk to their doctor to decide if da Vinci surgery is right for them. Other options may be available and appropriate. Only a doctor can determine whether da Vinci surgery is appropriate for a patient’s situation. Patients and doctors should review all available information on both non-surgical and surgical options in order to make an informed decision.

Surgeons experienced with the da Vinci system can be found using the Physician Locator. Intuitive Surgical provides surgeons training on the use of the da Vinci system but does not certify, credential or qualify the surgeons listed in the Physician Locator.