Abdominal wall hernia during laparoscopic gastric bypass: A serious consideration

Morbidly obese patients are predisposed to developing abdominal wall hernias with the potential complication of small bowel obstruction. We report a patient who developed an obstructed paraumbilical hernia a few days after laparoscopic gastric bypass and died of aspiration pneumonia after re-laparoscopy. The controversy regarding the optimal time and method of repair of abdominal wall hernias in patients undergoing laparoscopic gastric bypass is discussed with emphasis placed on either a simultaneous repair or to split the omentum to one side leaving incarcerated omentum that is plugging the hernia defect in place for a delayed repair.