Charlotte Horne, M.D.

Charlotte Horne, M.D., is a hernia surgeon at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, who cares for people with complex abdominal wall and hernia conditions. Dr. Horne's work focuses on caring for individuals with large, recurrent, or anatomically challenging hernias, often when they have been told elsewhere that repair is not possible.

Areas of expertise

Dr. Horne approaches hernia surgery with a focus on restoring function and quality of life, particularly in complex situations where standard approaches may fall short. Her clinical focus includes:

• Complex abdominal wall reconstruction: Individualized surgical planning based on anatomy, surgical history, and each person's goals, with the aim of rebuilding a strong, functional abdominal wall.
• Primary ventral and inguinal hernias: Operative approaches for first time hernia repairs tailored to patients' specific anatomy and minimizing the impact of mesh on long-term abdominal wall function.
• Gender specific hernia care: Unique care provided to people, tailored to the variation in anatomy, core function and long-term disease processes that varies between genders to ensure optimal core function post hernia repair.
• Large and recurrent hernias: Care for people whose hernias have returned after prior repairs or have progressed over time, often requiring advanced reconstructive strategies.
• Post-cancer and post-emergency surgery hernias: Treatment for hernias that develop after life-saving operations, balancing durability, safety, and long-term function.
• Challenging hernia locations: Surgical care for hernias in anatomically difficult areas that limit movement, comfort, or daily activities.
• Multidisciplinary hernia care: Close collaboration with Mayo Clinic experts to deliver coordinated, comprehensive care for people with complex needs.

Research and advancing care

Dr. Horne's clinical work reflects a commitment to improving outcomes for people with hernias of all sizes and locations. Whether those are simple or complex hernias, Dr. Horne prioritizes core function and restoring the abdominal wall back to normal anatomy with or without mesh to ensure the best patient outcomes. By continually refining approaches to abdominal wall reconstruction, her focus remains on durable repair, restored mobility, and quality of life.

Dr. Horne seeks to understand the long-term implications of hernia repairs on abdominal wall function and how repairs impact outcomes each gender differently and the implication of a repair on those that require further abdominal surgery. Working within Mayo Clinic's multidisciplinary model, she contributes to shared learning and thoughtful evaluation of outcomes; helping expand options for patients who previously had few.

What Dr. Horne finds most rewarding is seeing individuals reclaim parts of their lives they thought were lost. For many, hernia repair represents not only physical healing, but emotional closure after a long and difficult chapter. Through compassionate, individualized care, she helps people move forward with renewed independence and confidence.