LARGE-BOWEL OBSTRUCTION - A POSTOPERATIVE COMPLICATION AFTER LAPAROSCOPIC BILATERAL INGUINAL-HERNIA REPAIR

Each year in the United States alone over 500,000 inguinal herniorrhap hies are performed.(1) Numerous techniques and methods have been descr ibed, all in an attempt to decrease recurrences, complications, and mo rbidity. One of the newer methods involves laparoscopic, transabdomina l, preperitoneal placement of a mesh sheet. Several articles have desc ribed complications following this procedure-some inherent in all hern ia repairs and some unique to either the laparoscopic approach or mesh placement.(2-10) Our case appears to represent the first description of a large bowel obstruction secondary to an intense, inflammatory rea ction to the inserted mesh. It suggests that mesh insertion, despite r eperitonealizing the mesh, is not without complication.