OBTURATOR HERNIA REPAIRED BY INLAY GRAFT OF THE MARLEX MESH IN AN 88-YEAR-OLD WOMAN

Abstract

An 88-year-old woman complaining of abdominal pain and vomiting was admitted to the hospital. She had a history of 2 episodes of incarceration of the right obturator hernia that were successfully treated by naso-intestinal tube drainage. However, this time an operation was indicated. At laparotomy, the small intestine at 100cm on the oral side from the terminal ileum incarcerated in the right obturator canal. The incarcerated bowel was reduced easily, and was not necrotic. The hernial ring was 8mm in diameter. The hernial sac was inverted toward the abdominal cavity and incised to expose the obturator canal. Hernial repair by inlay graft using the Marlex mesh to cover the canal was carried out after trimming the mesh. The postoperative course was uneventful and she was discharged on 14th day after operation.
This method can repair the obturator hernia without causing tension to the surrounding tissue and compression of the obturator vessels and nerve. We think that this technique is very useful for repair of obturator hernia.