LAPAROSCOPIC APPROACH TO INCARCERATED INGUINAL-HERNIA

The safety and effectiveness of laparoscopic treatment for incarcerate d inguinal hernia have not been clarified. Six patients who underwent laparoscopic reduction and repair of incarcerated inguinal hernias wer e reviewed retrospectively. All operations were initiated within 1 h a fter establishment of the diagnosis. Laparoscopically, the incarcerate d small-bowel segments could be easily returned to the abdominal cavit y by a combination of pulling them with Babcock forceps while pushing back the bowels from outside the abdominal wall. The hernial portals w ere not cut in three patients, while they were dissected in the other three. All incarcerated bowels were congested and red immediately afte r reduction; however, their color returned to normal during hernia rep air and unnecessary bowel resection was therefore avoided. The mean op eration time was 88 min. Although one patient underwent laparotomy bec ause of the suspicion of necrosis of the incarcerated inguinal hernia, which was finally found to be due to postoperative paralytic ileus, t he postoperative courses of the remaining five were uneventful. Laparo scopic reduction and repair of incarcerated inguinal hernia was useful , and unnecessary bowel resection could be avoided.