Anatomy of the Abdominal Wall

Abstract

Hernia and Abdominal wall repair represents one of the surgical environments where knowledge is the real key to success, not the dissection of anatomic plane as happens in general surgery but the correct and effective use of anatomic structures represents the true ability of hernia surgeons. During the past years, several authors have left their names attached to anatomical structure and their variants testifying a great interest in the understanding of the pathological processes and modifications responsible of an abdominal wall defect. Today the interest in this field has raised more and more, thanks to the availability of new technologies, new approaches, and actually new procedures that push further the research in this area. It’s interesting to note that, on one hand, the need for a detailed knowledge of inguinal region has been flattened by the use of meshes, because of the reduced dissection in comparison to traditional tissue repairs. On the opposite side, the rise of Abdominal Wall Reconstruction concepts has been taken to the extreme of the concept of tenotomy and invented new anatomical routes and spaces for the surgeons. The aim of the present chapter is to easily describe these anatomical spaces and offer to the readers some tips and new insights to begin the route of abdominal wall anatomy.