Case report of perineal hernia after laparoscopic abdominoperineal resection

Perineal hernia (PH) is a rare complication following laparoscopic abdominoperineal resection (APR) for rectal cancer. We present a case report of perineal hernia after laparoscopic APR and discuss its management. The patient was a 77‐year‐old man who was diagnosed with lower rectal cancer. He underwent laparoscopic APR and bilateral lateral lymph node dissection. Two months after the surgery, pain and bulging in the perineal region developed, and PH was diagnosed by CT. Repair with a polypropylene mesh was performed using a combination of laparoscopic abdominal and transperineal approaches. Reportedly, the incidence of secondary PH after APR has increased along with the rate of laparoscopic surgery. Treatment of secondary PH with transperineal repair alone may cause injuries to other organs because of adhesion of the pelvic viscera. In the present case, we safely repaired the hernia repair using a laparoscopy‐assisted perineal approach.