Diagnosing Ventral Hernia? What tests should a doctor preform?

A physical exam can usually differentiate a rectus diastasis from a hernia but in some cases, it is hard to tell. An ultrasound is one easy way to evaluate the abdominal wall. A CT scan may also be done but does involve radiation exposure (more of a concern in a woman of childbearing age and less so in a man).


If you are asking this to see if insurance will cover the repair, then documentation of a hernia may be needed. If you are going to have an abdominoplasty anyway, then you may not need to undergo the tests as a hernia would be obvious at the time of a tummy tuck and could be repaired by a Board Certified plastic surgeon. In such a situation, you may want to get an insurance prior authorization first so that the hernia repair (if found at the time of surgery) would be covered.
 

A hernia is a true defect of the abdominal wall typically with very discreet edges often associated with an incision. The diastasis is more broad based.

In most cases, it is relatively straight forward to differentiate between a diastasis and a true hernia based on physical examination. Exceptions are patients who are significantly overweight or have had multiple prior surgeries. In those cases a CT scan is the best way to identify a ventral hernia.