Internal hernias: a brief review

Hernias are very familiar to a core surgical trainee in the setting of clinics and the surgical assessment unit. By definition, a hernia is an abnormal protrusion of a viscus from one compartment to another. In clinic, they are visible lumps, exhibiting a cough reflex often with a well definable history making them readily identifiable. In the acute setting, they are the third commonest cause of small bowel obstruction in the developed world. Ventral and inguinal hernias account for the majority of these with only a small proportion due to internal hernias. This article aims to educate the core surgical trainee on the anatomy and distinguishing clinical features of these rare but important types of internal abdominal hernias.