2018 Volume 38 Issue 5 Pages 907-909
An 87-year-old woman visited the emergency department of Onomichi General Hospital complaining of acute right inguinal pain. Physical examination revealed no bulge in the right inguinal region or any evidence of peritoneal irritation. Laboratory data revealed slight elevation of the inflammatory marker levels. Abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed incarcerated small intestinal loops between the right pectineus and external obturator muscles. Under the diagnosis of incarcerated right obturator hernia, emergency laparoscopic operation was performed. Intraoperative examination revealed no necrosis of the incarcerated small intestine. Therefore, in the same surgical session, we performed repair of the hernia via the inguinal approach, using the Kugel hernia patch. At the end of the operation, laparoscopic viewing confirmed that the inserted patch had been appropriately placed. The patient was discharged without any postoperative complications on day 7. Laparoscope-assisted surgery is a more beneficial and less invasive approach than laparotomy in cases of incarcerated hernia where there is no necrosis of the incarcerated intestine and the vital signs are stable.
