INCISIONAL HERNIA FOLLOWING LAPAROSCOPIC SURGERY - 2 UNUSUAL CASES AND LITERATURE-REVIEW

Laparoscopic procedures are becoming an increasing part of general surgery. Patients are now being exposed to a new spectrum of complications. We report two unusual port site incisional hernias. A review of the literature has identified only 30 previously reported cases, a surprisingly small total given the number of laparoscopic procedures performed annually in all specialities. These 30 cases all occurred through 10/11 mm port sites. They appeared early in the post-laparoscopic period; of 23 known, six were noted at the conclusion of the procedure and 11 appeared within 2 weeks. A high index of suspicion is required as small bowel involvement is common (12 of 18 patients where content was noted) though a palpable mass was present in only four patients. The cause of small bowel obstruction in the early post-laparoscopic period can be diagnosed and possibly treated with a laparoscopic technique.