[Diaphragmatic hernia complicating omentoplasty after thoracic wall excision. Reflections apropos of 2 cases]

The authors relate two case-reports of diaphragmatic hernia occurring after antero-lateral chest-wall resection and repair with an omental flap. Both patients had undergone a prior lung resection for bronchogenic cancer, and the indication for chest-wall resection was parietal neoplastic recurrence. In both patients, the omental flap was brought up to the chest wall defect by a direct transdiaphragmatic route; prosthetic material was note used. The hernia presented once as early post-operative evisceration, and once as proximal obstruction due to gastric herniation. The causes of these two complications are analysed. Omentoplasty was justified twice, since the latissimus dorsi had been severed during the prior thoracotomy. Prosthetic material might have been useful to one of the patients, but not to the second who had undergone pneumonectomy. The transdiaphragmatic passage of the omentoplasty was certainly responsible for the herniae and should be avoided.