Medical experts at the Dignity Health Hernia Institute in Phoenix say they’re seeing a rise in hernia cases — and they expect that trend to continue over the next decade.
Surgeon and institute director Dr. Thomas Gillespie says an aging population, rising obesity rates and more people having surgery are driving the increase.
"Having had a previous surgeries is almost like the number one predictor of getting a hernia — is those incisions are opening up and they're getting holes in their abdominal wall," Gillespie says.
Roughly 30,000 to 35,000 hernia repair surgeries are performed each year in Arizona.
A hernia happens when tissue pushes through a weakened muscle, often creating a bulge in the abdomen or groin.
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