[Treatment of incarcerated abdominal hernia]

The aim of the study is to present problems connected with a diagnosis and treatment of incarcerated abdominal hernia. In the years 1990-2001, 142 patients with incarcerated abdominal hernia were admitted to hospital. In this group 112 patients were urgently operated on. These were 25 femoral hernias, 22 inguinal hernias, 23 umbilical hernias, 41 postoperative hernias and 1 internal hernia.

The patients presented on clinical picture gastrointestinal tract obstruction or peritonitis. Postoperative mortality was 5.4%, however, in the group of patients with incarcerated postoperative hernias 17.5%.

Treatment of incarcerated abdominal hernia is a serious surgical problem. Operations are marked by high mortality due to the late diagnosis of incarceration and further postoperative complications.