Small bowel and mesenteric injury following traditional treatment and self-inflicted trauma to inguinal hernia

Inguinal hernia is a common indication for emergency surgery in our environment after intestinal obstruction. Occasionally other rare indications may be seen. Recently, two patients with such unusual presentation were managed in this institution. One had his hernia incised, by a traditional barber with evisceration and the other incised his hernia himself with evisceration and laceration of the small bowel. Both patients were successfully managed. The menace of traditional barbers and medical ignorance in tropical Africa are reported.