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Updated: Nov 28, 2025
Transvaginal Mesh Insertion in the Ovine Model
Published on: July 27, 2017
Mesh on the move: a case report of total transmural surgical mesh migration causing bowel obstruction
Joseph Ryan Leach1,2, Bryan Manoukian3, Lygia Stewart4
1Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA. Joseph.leach@ucsf.edu.
Abstract:
We present the case of a 60-year-old man with a complex medical history, presenting to the hospital with generalized weakness and found to be markedly hyperglycemic. Early in the patient's hospital course, he developed abdominal pain and was found to have a small bowel obstruction secondary to intraluminal migrated surgical mesh entrapped in the terminal ileum. The bowel obstruction was relieved surgically with uncomplicated mesh removal and ileocecectomy. Surgical mesh migration is a relatively rare complication of hernia repair and abdominal wall reconstruction, and intraluminal mesh migration is an even more rare variant. Our case demonstrates key clinical and imaging features and serves as an important example of how such cases may present.
Insights
A rare case of surgical mesh migrating into the small intestine caused a bowel obstruction in a 60-year-old man. Prompt surgical intervention successfully removed the mesh and resolved the obstruction.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Surgical Complications
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Surgical mesh is commonly used for hernia repair and abdominal wall reconstruction.
- Mesh migration is a known, albeit uncommon, complication.
- Intraluminal migration is a particularly rare form of mesh migration.
Observation:
- A 60-year-old male with a complex history presented with hyperglycemia, generalized weakness, and abdominal pain.
- Imaging revealed a small bowel obstruction caused by intraluminal surgical mesh in the terminal ileum.
- The patient underwent successful surgical removal of the mesh and an ileocecectomy.
Findings:
- This case highlights the rare complication of intraluminal surgical mesh migration causing bowel obstruction.
- Key clinical and imaging findings are presented to aid in diagnosis.
- Successful surgical management involved mesh explantation and bowel resection.
Implications:
- Awareness of this rare complication is crucial for surgeons and gastroenterologists.
- Early recognition through clinical and imaging features can prevent significant morbidity.
- This case underscores the importance of considering unusual complications in patients with prior surgical history.
