Purpose To reveal the clinical significance of preoperative haematological inflammatory markers in the diagnosis of abdominal wall hernias with strangulation. Methods The data of 200 patients who underwent surgery for incarcerated hernia were retrospectively analysed. The patients were grouped into three groups; Group 1; only surgical reduction and hernia repair, Group 2; small bowel resection and Group 3; omentum resection. Age, gender, hernia type, the presence of radiological bowel obstruction and preoperative complete blood count data were obtained. Neutrophil-leukocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), haematological inflammatory index (HII) and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) values were calculated. Results The study was consisted of; Group 1: 119 patients (59.5%), Group 2: 46 patients (23%) and Group 3: 35 patients (17.5%). Advanced age ( p  = 0.001), female gender ( p  = 0.036), incisional hernias ( p  =  < 0.001) and the presence of bowel obstruction ( p  =  < 0.001) were found to be statistically significant in terms of strangulation. NLR, PLR and SII values were significantly higher in Group 2 compared to Group 1, and PLR values were significantly higher in Group 2 compared with Group 3 ( p  < 0.05). Conclusion The preoperative elevated NLR, PLR and SII values may indicate strangulation and possible intestinal resection, in incarcerated abdominal wall hernias.