Herniation of the liver via an incisional abdominal wall defect

Herniation of the liver through an anterior abdominal wall incisional defect has rarely been described. An 81-year-old man presented to our surgical team with acute right upper quadrant abdominal pain. He had undergone coronary artery bypass grafting via a median sternotomy 7 years previously. Examination revealed gallbladder tenderness and a non-tender incisional epigastric hernia. Cholecystitis was confirmed on ultrasound. A CT scan revealed a knuckle of liver (segment II/III) herniating through an upper midline anterior abdominal wall incisional defect.