Inguinal hernia is a common complication in lower midline incision surgery

Inguinal hernia is a known complication after radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP). We have investigated whether other types of lower midline incision surgery in males increase the risk of inguinal hernia. Male patients operated with open prostatectomy for benign prostate hyperplasia (n = 95), pelvic lymph node dissection for staging of prostate cancer (n = 88), or cystectomy for bladder cancer (n = 76) were identified and were sent questionnaires in which they were asked about postoperative inguinal hernia morbidity. Two-hundred and seventy-one men operated with RRP had previously received a similar questionnaire. The answers were compared with those from a control group of 953 men who had not undergone surgery. Annual attributional hernia morbidity and Kaplan–Meier hernia-free survival were calculated. The cumulative incidence of post-operative inguinal hernia and annual attributional hernia morbidity after the respective surgical procedures were clearly higher during the early years post-operation than for nonoperated patients. Inguinal hernia is a common postoperative complication in males after all the lower midline incision surgery investigated.     

Intrapericardial diaphragmatic hernia: a rare type of congenital diaphragmatic hernia

An extremely rare case of congenital intrapericardial diaphragmatic hernia is presented. Since 1981, only 14 cases have been reported in the literature. A 5-year-old girl presented with dyspnea on exertion and easy fatigability. Computed tomography was suggestive of an anterior diaphragmatic hernia. Laparoscopy followed by successful open repair of hernia was performed.     

A rare variant of inguinal hernia: Cryptorchid testis at the age of 50 years. Etiopathogenicity,prognosis and management

INTRODUCTIONCryptorchidism is characterized by the extra-scrotal position of the testis. The surgical community has little to no knowledge of cryptorchid testis in adults apart from of pediatric surgeons. Therefore, we sought to describe this unusual cause of inguinal hernia.PRESENTATION OF CASEA 50-year-old man was referred with a inguinal hernia. Diagnosis of cryptorchidism was made during surgery, as the patient underwent an operation for repair of his left inguinal hernia. The testicle was non-viable and a left testicle was resected. Histopathology report confirmed a atrophic testis without testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT).DISCUSSIONThis is an extremely rare case of cryptorchidism revealed in an adult. The patient remained asymptomatic for 50 years. Most studies have concluded that there is a direct correlation between how long the testis was subjected to a cryptorchid position and TGCT incidence. The recommended age of surgical correction is before the age of 2 years. In our case, we did not find correlation between the time of surgery and risk of TGCT. Histopathology report confirmed the presence of leydig cells, seminiferous tubule and Sertoli cells without TGCT. Very little is known about link between cryptorchidism and TGCT. The correct diagnosis of inguinal hernia is usually made during an inguinal hernia repair.CONCLUSIONThe surgeon must always be alert to the possibility of cryptorchid testis during a surgical exploration of an inguinal hernia. In suspected cases, laparoscopy ultrasonographic, CT scan and laparoscopy evaluation may be helpful in diagnosing of this atypical inguinal hernia before surgery.     

Intramesosigmoid hernia: a rare type of congenital internal hernia

Intestinal obstruction from congenital internal hernias is a rare and often unsuspected problem. We report the case of a 66-year-old male with a rare type of congenital internal hernia causing bowel obstruction. He underwent successful laparoscopy-assisted surgical repair without bowel resection. Symptomatic congenital internal hernias usually present with intermittent or acute small-bowel obstruction without any history of previous abdominal surgery. Laparoscopy or hand-assisted laparoscopy can be useful tools for locating the region of pathology and enable minimally invasive surgical treatment.     

Sciatic hernia: a comprehensive review of the world literature (1900-2008)

Background

Sciatic hernias are considered the rarest pelvic floor hernias, with a very limited number of published reports worldwide. The condition has received limited attention in the surgical literature.

Data sources

The data reported herein are based on a literature review including MEDLINE and CURRENT CONTENTS computerized database searches. The existing bibliographies on sciatic hernia were explored for articles pertaining to the review. Finally, the Internet was searched for articles not listed in the available medical databases.

Conclusions

Sciatic hernia is unusual, and can present the physician with diagnostic and treatment dilemmas. The hernia may present with obscure pelvic pain, intestinal obstruction, life-threatening gluteal sepsis, or as an asymptomatic, reducible mass that distorts the gluteal fold. Small sciatic hernia can remain hidden behind the gluteus maximus muscle. The diagnosis requires imaging studies in such cases. Treatment of sciatic hernia is always surgical and requires prosthetic reinforcement for the best result.     

Obturator hernia: a new device in mesh repair

Summary Obturator hernia is a rare cause of bowel obstruction which occurs mostly in elderly patients. Because symptoms are non-specific and hernia is rarely detectable on physical examination, preoperative diagnosis is difficult. Delay in diagnosis frequently leads to strangulation of the hernia and bowel resection so mortality remains high (25%). Although several techniques of obturator hernia repair have been described, surgical repair has not been standardized. We report a case of obturator hernia in a male patient previously operated on for inguinal hernia. It was discovered while operating for suspected recurrence of the right inguinal hernia. A new technical device which consists of the use of metal anchors allowed precise positioning of the mesh and avoids future dislocation.     

A rare cause of intestinal obstruction: incarcerated femoral hernia, strangulated obturator hernia

Obturator hernia may occur bilaterally in association with another hernia, which is usually of the femoral type. We present a 77-year-old-woman who had abdominal pain with nausea and vomiting together with swelling of the right groin for 3 days. Incarcerated right femoral hernia and consequent mechanical small-bowel obstruction was diagnosed, and urgent operation was undertaken. As the incarcerated femoral hernia reduced spontaneously during the induction of anesthesia, a lower median incision was performed. During exploration, the real cause of mechanical intestinal obstruction was found to be a small intestinal loop strangulated in the left obturator hernia. Right femoral and left obturator hernia were repaired with preperitoneal polypropylene mesh. If there is enough time and general condition of the older patient is suitable, further diagnostic techniques for concomitant obturator hernias may be useful in patients who present with signs of incarcerated inguinal hernia and intestinal obstruction.     

A rare case of acute abdomen due to strangulated Waldayer's hernia

INTRODUCTIONAn internal hernia is the herniation of an intestinal segment into an intra-peritoneal fossa, is an uncommon cause for intestinal obstruction and is difficult to diagnose preoperatively.PRESENTATION OF CASEWe report a male patient 19 years old presenting with acute abdomen due to a strangulated Waldayer's hernia.DISCUSSIONThe paraduodenal hernias are more common in males (M:F ratio 3:1). The average age at diagnosis is 38.5 years clinically presenting with chronic intermittent post-parandial abdominal pain. An accurate incidence of paraduodenal hernias in infancy and childhood is unknown, but is quite rare.CONCLUSIONInternal complicated hernias are difficult to diagnose and once discovered intra-operative anatomical variations are present with special attribution to the management of the hernia sac.     

Laparoscopic repair of a rare acquired abdominal intercostal hernia

INTRODUCTIONAn acquired abdominal intercostal hernia (AIH) is a very rare and sporadically reported entity. Most cases of AIH are secondary to major trauma and the treatment of choice is surgical repair.PRESENTATION OF CASEWe present the case of a 58-year-old man who presented with a painless intercostal swelling, which started after previous penetrating trauma to the same area. Radiological assessment was done with CT scan and the hernia was repaired with a laparoscopic approach using mesh.DISCUSSIONAIH is a rare entity and trauma has an integral role in the pathophysiology. Surgical repair is the treatment of choice, however, due to the paucity of cases, there is no established method of choice for such repair. We present the first reported case in the Caribbean, which was repaired with the laparoscopic approach.CONCLUSIONAlthough AIH is a rare condition, the pathophysiology seems relatively straightforward and the use of CT scan is recommended to confirm the diagnosis. The laparoscopic approach, with all its established benefits, appears to be a safe and feasible option in its management.     

Traumatic handlebar hernia: a rare abdominal wall hernia

Traumatic abdominal wall herniation (TAWH) caused by direct trauma from bicycle handlebars are rare. There are only 21 reported cases of handlebar hernias. An 11-year-old boy presented to the emergency room soon after falling from his bicycle and hitting his right lower quadrant on the handlebars. The patient’s vital signs and initial laboratory studies were normal. Physical exam showed a soft tissue bulge in the right lower quadrant with superficial ecchymosis and tenderness to palpation. Computed tomography showed intestinal loops protruding through a defect in the abdominal wall into the subcutaneous space. Surgical exploration found a defect throughout his entire abdominal wall including the fascia, muscular layers, and peritoneum, with bowel protruding into the subcutaneous space. The defect was repaired in layers, and the child’s postoperative course was unevenful. The authors recommend a high level of clinical suspicion for TAWH in all patients with traumatic abdominal wall injuries. Definitive treatment includes surgical exploration with primary repair of all tissue layers of the abdominal wall.     

Ambulatory inguinal hernia repair with prolene hernia system (PHS)

Study was conducted to evaluate the feasibility and benefits of inguinal hernia repair with prolene hernia system (PHS) mesh under local anaesthesia as a day surgery procedure in a multinational society of United Arab Emirates. One hundred and seventy-eight inguinal hernias in 172 consecutive adults of whom 154 (89.5%) fitted the criteria of inclusion in the day-case surgery settings were operated upon including one early recurrence. Conversion from local to general anaesthesia was required in five (2.8%) patients. The mean operation time was 65 min, including the anaesthesia injection. The mean hospital stay was 2.1 days for all patients and 1.01 days for those who fitted in the ambulatory surgery program. Inguinal hernia repair using the PHS technique under local anaesthesia could be mastered by many of the surgeons in our hospital with minimal morbidity and short hospital stay with a potential to lessen recurrence.     

Laparoscopic management of inferior lumbar hernia (Petit triangle hernia)

Lumbar hernias are rare defects in the posterolateral abdominal wall that may be congenital or acquired. We present a case of laparoscopic approach to repair an acquired inferior triangle (Petit) lumbar hernia in a woman by using polytetrafluoroethylene mesh. The size of the hernia was 8×10 cm. The length of her hospital stay was 2 days. The patient resumed normal activities in less than 2 weeks. The main advantage of this approach is excellent operative visualization, thus avoiding injury to structures near the hernia during repair. Patients benefit from a minimally invasive approach with less pain, shortened hospital course, less analgesic requirements, better cosmetic result, and minimal life-style interference.     

Surgical repair of recurrent hiatal hernia

The surgical management results of recurrent hiatal hernia repair are unknown in the laparoscopic era. The experience of the senior authors (CJF) and (SKM) is reported herein. From 1993 to 2004, 52 patients underwent re-operative hiatal hernia surgery at our center. Preoperative symptoms were heartburn, chest pain, dysphagia, regurgitation and pulmonary manifestations of gastroesophageal reflux disease. Patients had preoperative evaluation by upper endoscopy, pH-monitoring, esophagogram and manometry to assess the mechanism of failure. Pre- and postoperative symptoms were assessed utilizing a standardized questionnaire. Patients underwent laparoscopic repair (n=18), open laparotomy (n=6) and transthoracic surgery (n=28). Ninety-five percent follow-up was achieved with a mean follow-up of 34 months. Thirty-seven percent of patients encountered para-operative complications one of them died due to respiratory insufficiency. Five patients experienced a re-recurrent hernia. The symptom resolution was 65% for dysphagia, 68% for heartburn, 95% for chest pain and 79% for regurgitation. The overall patient satisfaction was 6.94 on a scale of 1–10. There was no significant difference in patient outcome when comparing the operative approaches or disease process. Surgical repair of recurrent hiatal hernias is safe and effective. Laparoscopic surgery is an appropriate alternative approach for recurrent hiatal hernia repair in selected patients.     

Laparoscopic ventral hernia repair using a two (5-mm) port technique.

OBJECTIVE: High recurrence rates have been documented after primary repair of incisional hernias. Laparoscopic ventral and incisional hernia repairs have been performed with very low rates of recurrence. We have modified the standard technique of laparoscopic repair in patients with small incisional and ventral hernias. The purpose of this study was to document the technique utilizing only two 5-mm ports and demonstrate that it is safe, effective, and feasible. METHODS: Three patients with small incisional or ventral hernias were examined. The standard laparoscopic ventral hernia repair technique was modified as follows: two 5-mm ports were inserted on opposite sides of the defect. The defects ranged from 2.5 cm to 4 cm in size. Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene mesh (DualMesh, WL Gore, Flagstaff, AZ) was used to cover the hernia defect, overlapping the defect margins circumferentially by 3 cm. The mesh diameter ranged from 8.5 cm to 10 cm. The mesh was inserted through a 5-mm skin incision site and affixed into position with transfascial sutures and spiral tacks. RESULTS: The operative time ranged from 53 minutes to 57 minutes. All patients were discharged home the day of surgery and reported minimal postoperative pain. Follow-up ranged from 6 months to 1 year; all patients were doing well without recurrence. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic repair of ventral or incisional hernias can be performed using only two 5-mm ports. This technique can be done on an outpatient basis in a safe, timely fashion.     

A Grynfeltt hernia: Report of a case

Superior lumbar hernia (Grynfeltt hernia) is an uncommon variety of abdominal wall defect. There are three types of lumbar hernia: congenital, acquired, and incisional hernias. Diagnosis depends largely on the capacity for clinical suspicion, and confirmation is based on imaging tests. We report a case of an acquired lumbar hernia diagnosed by computed tomography (CT), which was treated successfully at our institution.     

Ventral hernia repair in conjunction with LIPO-ABDOMINOPLASTY in overweight patients: A comprehensive approach

Repair of large midline ventral hernias still represents a challenge for general surgeons. As obesity is a key factor of this type of hernias, usually the patients are presented with abdominal wall laxity, excess skin and subcutaneous fat. Combined procedures has evolved over the last six decades to repair the hernias and to improve the shape of the abdomen, but was associated with high rate of wound complications. The components separation technique for ventral hernia repair was introduced in 1990 by Ramirez et al to avoid mesh repair was associated with a high rate of success. Until recently, the convenience of simultaneously performing ventral hernia repair and abdominal contouring surgery remains controversial. The aim of this study is to present our experience in the integration of the anterior component separation technique for repair of midline wide ventral defects, with the lipoabdominoplasty in selected patients with high body mass index, to achieve a functional abdominal wall repair and to provide a better aesthetic outcome. In this prospective case–control study, 15 adult female multiparous women, all were overweight and obese, presented with midline ventral hernias and abdominal deformity was operated upon where a comprehensive technique in the form of herniorapphy, anterior component separation technique and lipoabdominoplasty were performed. The patients were followed up for 3–6 months period to monitor incidence of complications, hernia recurrence and to assess the aesthetic outcome. All the 15 patients were overweight and obese with BMI ranged between 26.5 and 39.6 kg/m². The mean operative time was 184 ± 28.8 minutes (range 150–240 minutes). The mean postoperative length of hospital stay was 3 days ranging from 1 to 5 days. In addition to the hernia, all the patients suffered from diastasis of recti ranged from 9 to 15 cm in the transverse dimension. No mortality or major complications encountered, no hernia recurrence, only minor complications occurred in four patients (26.8%). Two patients developed seroma which resolved by aspiration, one patient suffered wound infection with partial loss of the umbilicus and one developed superficial skin necrosis at the central area of the flaps which healed uneventfully by secondary intention. All the patients were satisfied with the cosmetic outcome. In conclusion , this comprehensive approach is effective technique for reconstruction of large midline ventral defects and provide a good aesthetic appearance of the anterior and lateral abdomen in appropriately selected obese patients.     

Laparoscopic management of an internal double omental hernia: A rare cause of intestinal obstruction

Introduction Internal hernia is a very rare cause of intestinal obstruction (0.2–0.9% of cases), associated with 45% mortality. A review of the literature revealed just eight reported cases of double omental hernia since 1950 of which our patient is the first case successfully treated laparoscopically. Case presentation We report on a 29-year-old man who presented with signs and symptoms of intestinal obstruction. The patient underwent emergent exploratory laparoscopy. This revealed herniation of a 20-cm jejunal loop through the gastrocolic ligament and reemergence through a defect in the gastrohepatic ligament. The strangulated loop was reduced with slight traction, and the defect was repaired. The patient was discharged from hospital in just 5 days time, and after 6 months of follow-up, the general condition of the patient was normal.Conclusions Laparoscopy is a good technique with minimal complications compared with laparotomy. As many cases are missed due to nonspecific signs and symptoms, an urgent laparoscopy or laparotomy is highly recommended in such a situation.