A Case of Laparoscopically Repaired Inguinal Hernia in which an Accidentally Swallowed Partial Denture was Found in the Incarcerated Small Intestine

Abstract

A 76-year-old man hospitalized for rehabilitation following a cerebral infarction was referred to our department complaining of abdominal pain and swelling in the left groin. Abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT) showed an incarcerated left inguinal hernia and a hyperdense area in the incarcerated small intestine that was considered to represent a foreign body. Intraperitoneal observation during emergency laparoscopic surgery showed that the small intestine was incarcerated in the left internal inguinal ring. The incarcerated small intestine was gently reduced into the abdominal cavity laparoscopically, and internal inguinal ring cerclage was performed to repair the hernia. When the discolored incarcerated intestine was partially resected, a partial denture and clasp were found within the resected portion. No previous case of laparoscopic repair of an incarcerated inguinal hernia caused by an accidentally swallowed partial denture has been reported, and, therefore, this valuable case is reported together with a short discussion of the literature.