Port-site hernia following robotic gynecological surgery

Abstract

A 70-year-old woman visited our emergency room for abdominal pain and vomiting. Five days prior, she had undergone robotic gynecological surgery at another hospital and had been discharged. Computed tomography revealed intestinal obstruction and incarceration of the small intestine at the port site on the left abdomen. Emergency surgery was performed because the obstruction and incarceration could not be reduced manually. Incarceration of the small intestine was observed at the site of a 10-mm defect in the external oblique fascia. There was no evidence of necrosis, and the fascia was sutured closed after reduction. The postoperative course was good and the patient was discharged on day 5. Port-site hernia is a rare complication, which is likely to become more common in the future as the number of robotic surgeries increase. Port-site hernia hould be considered when diagnosing intestinal obstructio after robotic surgery.