A specialized center, built for complex cases

The Novant Health Abdominal Wall Reconstruction & Hernia Center is based in Charlotte and draws patients from across North and South Carolina who need a higher level of surgical expertise. Led by Dr. Vedra A. Augenstein and Dr. Jana Sacco, two board-certified surgeons with specialization in complex hernias and abdominal wall reconstruction, the center gives your patients access to highly specialized surgical care.

"Complex abdominal wall reconstruction demands surgical judgment that can't be improvised," said Dr. Augenstein. "When you refer your most difficult cases to us, they're in the hands of surgeons who have managed this level of complexity before and know how to get patients to a durable outcome."

When to refer: Hernia and abdominal wall conditions that benefit from subspecialty care

Not every hernia or abdominal wall condition requires subspecialty evaluation. The following presentations, however, benefit from the surgical depth and resources this center is designed to provide. Refer your patients when they present with:

• Recurrent hernia following one or more prior repairs
• Large, complex or symptomatic ventral or incisional hernias
• Abdominal wall defect requiring reconstruction beyond routine mesh placement
• Hernia with worsening pain, discomfort or progressive enlargement
• Hernia that is difficult or no longer possible to reduce manually
• Patients with significant complicating factors: obesity, prior mesh infection, contaminated fields or multiple prior abdominal surgeries
• Incarcerated or high-risk hernia requiring urgent surgical planning
• Cases requiring advanced preoperative imaging, such as CT, for operative planning

For complex repairs, preoperative planning, patient optimization and surgical technique selection are closely linked. Factors like obesity and smoking status directly affect wound healing and recurrence risk, and the center's surgeons address these variables as part of a comprehensive surgical plan.

Minimally invasive and open options, guided by what's right for each patient

The center offers the full spectrum of surgical approaches: minimally invasive, robotic-assisted and open abdominal wall reconstruction. When minimally invasive techniques are appropriate, they may offer your patients shorter recovery, less postoperative pain and an earlier return to daily activity. For patients requiring open reconstruction, innovative techniques are used to achieve durable repair with attention to long-term strength and function.

"Every patient comes to us with a different history and different goals," said Dr. Sacco. "We don't fit patients to a protocol. We build the surgical plan around them."

Advanced hernia and abdominal wall care, now available at Novant Health

Novant Health now offers dedicated surgical expertise in complex hernia repair and abdominal wall reconstruction, giving referring physicians across North and South Carolina a resource for their most demanding cases. Your patients can access this level of specialized care in Charlotte, close enough to reach from across the Carolinas and backed by the full resources of a major health system.

Stan Fuller, MD, physician in chief of the Novant Health Surgical Institute, noted this expansion is a top system priority: "With these new centers and clinics, we can deliver advanced, highly coordinated care, ensuring patients receive the expertise they need while remaining connected to the clinicians and health system they know and trust."