Internal Herniation Causing Double Obstruction of the Small Bowel and Urinary Tract: A Rare Case Presentation

Small bowel obstruction is one of the most common urgent surgical conditions, caused by a variety of factors, with adhesions, malignancies, and hernias, internal and external, being the most common. Many types of internal hernias have been described in the literature; however, internal hernia caused by the ureter as a secondary complication of ureteroplasty is rare and only a few cases have been reported worldwide. This presentation discusses an interesting case of small bowel obstruction accompanied by obstruction of the urinary tract due to an internal hernia caused by the ureter. A 58-year-old female presented to the emergency department (ED) with acute pain in the abdominal and right lumbar region. Her surgical history includes hysterectomy, right ureter injury, and ureteroplasty performed 10 years ago. Clinical examination showed tenderness in the lower abdomen, positive Giordano's sign on the right, and metallic bowel sounds. A computer tomography scan revealed right-sided hydronephrosis, absence of excretion in the right urinary tract, and dilated loops of the small intestine. An exploratory laparoscopy revealed a small bowel loop strangulated by the ureter, followed by laparotomy, resection of a segment of the ileum, oblique anastomosis, and reimplantation of the right ureter. The patient was discharged eight days postoperatively without any complications. This case underscores the significance of surgical history in order to recognize even rarer causes of small bowel obstruction.