Is it likely to get hernia after rectal cancer surgery?

Possible, not likely: Hernias come in many forms. If you had a surgery with an incision on your midline abdominal wall, regardless of the reason for this incision, you could develop an incisional hernia. After your rectal cancer surgery, your surgeon likely told you to avoid coughing, straining, and heavy lifting for six weeks. This advise is to lower your risk for hernia in the incision. Check with your surgeon.

Depends: There are many surgical options to manage rectal cancer. If amenable to a transanal approach, there is no risk, if laparoscopic, you have a smaller risk than an open abdominal procedure. If you require a permanent colostomy, you have the potential for hernias at the abdominal incisions, around the colostomy and at the perineum, bottom where the anus was. A colorectal surgeon can provide options.

Depends: About 15-20% of patients that have an abdominal operation will develop a hernia at the site of the operation. This rate can be reduced to about 5% if the surgeon utilizes the "short stitch" technique described in sweden, and published in the archives of surgery in 2009. Ask your surgeon to look it up an consider incorporating this simple technique in to their practice.