Postoperative perineal hernia

Large perineal hernia is an uncommon complication following abdominoperineal resection of the rectum, but it does present a difficult surgical dilemma. Repair of this hernia is a challenging surgical problem. Various methods of repair have been proposed and include an abdominal, perineal, or combined abdominoperineal approach to the hernia. This report describes a patient with a large perineal hernia after an abdominoperineal resection. The spectrum of perineal hernias, the aetiology, and the different techniques of surgical repair are discussed.