Incisional hernia (IH) is a frequent complication following laparoscopic colorectal surgery. The present study investigated the risk factors for IH after laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer. A retrospective study was conducted on 202 patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the clinicopathological factors associated with IH. The overall incidence of IH was 25.7% (52 of 202). The univariate analysis

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... showed that female sex (P=0.004), a high body mass index (P<0.001), non-current smoking habit (P=0.043), low level of hemoglobin (P=0.035), high subcutaneous fat area (P<0.001), high visceral fat area (P=0.006), low skeletal muscle area (P=0.001), long distance between the inner edges of the rectus abdominis muscle (P=0.001), long protrusion of the peritoneum at the umbilical site (P<0.001), and lymph node metastasis (P=0.007) were significantly more frequent in the group with IH than in the group without it. The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed an older age (10-year increments: odds ratio [OR], 1.576; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.027-2.419; P=0.037), lymph node metastasis (OR, 2.384; 95% CI, 1.132-5.018; P=0.022) and lengthy protrusion of the peritoneum at the umbilical site (10-mm increments: OR, 5.555; 95% CI, 3.058-10.091; P<0.001) were independent risk factors for IH. Our findings suggest that older age, lymph node metastasis, and lengthy protrusion of the peritoneum at the umbilical site are risk factors for IH after laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer. An assessment using these factors before the operation and the implementation of countermeasures might help prevent IH.