On the Origins of Components Separation

The method of abdominal hernia repair known as components separation, described by Ramirez et al. in 1990, has enjoyed widespread popularity because of the sound anatomical principles it uses and most importantly the clinical success of the procedure. Although the authors who described this technique made no proprietary claims and did not discuss the history of abdominal hernia repair, they have certainly been credited with the development of this procedure. With this article, the author hopes to place components separation in historical perspective, and give credit to Donald Herron Young, who published the concept of external oblique relaxing incisions for repair of epigastric hernias in 1961. Born in Canada, Young studied and worked as a surgeon in England for most of his life. A biographical sketch is included. (Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 124: 1545, 2009.)