Abstract
A 71-year-old woman underwent laparoscopic sigmoidectomy for sigmoid colon cancer. On the 21st postoperative day, she was readmitted with the diagnosis of small bowel obstruction near the Treitz ligament. As conservative treatment failed to relieve the obstruction, we performed laparoscopic surgery on the 39th day after readmission. Laparoscopic observation revealed that the proximal jejunum had herniated through a mesocolonic opening that had formed after the laparoscopic sigmoidectomy. The herniated jejunum was adherent and obstructed, however, there were no ischemic changes. We performed adhesiolysis for the obstructed jejunum and sutured the serosa of the jejunum with the peritoneum of the mesocolon. The patient was discharged on the 12th postoperative day. Some cases have been reported where a defect of the mesentery with an internal hernia developing after laparoscopic colectomy, which does not usually cause intraperitoneal adhesions. Laparoscopic surgery is being increasingly employed for the treatment of colon cancer. It is worth performing laparoscopic repair for an internal hernia after laparoscopic colectomy, as in this case.
