Abstract: Laparotomy performed for surgical access usually heals quickly and without complications, leaving a stable scar. An exception to this is the rare (< 1%) occurrence of acute separation of the sutured abdominal walls during the postoperative phase – known as acute wound dehiscence or burst abdomen – and the more frequent (> 20%) occurrence of chronic wound dehiscence with the formation of a hernial sac and canal months to years after surgery. This is known as incisional hernia. Incisional hernia is receiving greater attention in the medical community than in previous years, due to the increasing use of ultrasonography as part of follow-up after abdominal surgery, increased long term survival even after oncological surgery, and demographic developments which permit longer follow up. Incisional hernias and ventral hernias larger than 2 cm are preferably repaired using prosthesis, because primary repair has an unacceptable high rate of recurrences.