Laparoscopic surgery for traumatic diaphragmatic hernias

Since 1994 we treated four patients after blunt abdominal trauma laparoscop ically. Two patients had their surgery during the early posttraumatic perio d, two patients after a latency of years. We found that laparoscopy is a sa fe and gentle procedure for diagnosis as well as for treatment. The laparos copy was in all cases successful, the postoperative course was uneventful. All patients remained asymptomatic during follow-up between 15 and 72 month s. We expect the same good long-term results after laparoscopic repair as a fter open conventional surgery. The literature regarding traumatic hernias is reviewed.