Case report: Laparoscopic totally extraperitoneal repair of an obturator hernia with self-gripping mesh under spinal...

Obturator hernias account for less than 0.073% of all hernias and less than 1.6% of all cases of mechanical bowel obstructions.

We present a case of a 79 year-old elderly female with two recurrent bowel obstructions that have resolved with conservative management. On the third presentation we performed a totally extraperitoneal repair (TEP) with conscious sedation and a L3/4 spinal block. An obturator defect was patched with a self gripping mesh (progrip). The patient was discharged day 2 post operatively.

Laparoscopic surgery can be safely performed in high risk patients with careful monitoring. Laparoscopic surgery is usually associated with a shorter post-operative length of stay.

This case demonstrates the successful but unconventional repair of an obturator hernia in a patient who had a high risk of significant morbidity and mortality with a more conventional anaesthesia and surgery.