[Laparoscopic therapy for internal hernias. Presentation of three cases]

Internal abdominal hernias are rare and often are first seen when causing ileus. Three different internal hernias were operated on laparoscopically: a patient with a hernia duodeno-jejunalis causing recurrent pain in the upper bowel, vomitus and ileus; two patients with an intersigmoidal hernia and pelvic hernia causing ileus without prodroma. Each case was operated on laparoscopically during or short after ileus. In all cases the hernia could be assured and treated by retracting the gut into the abdominal cavity and either wide opening of the hernia's entrance or closing it by suture. It is concluded that internal hernias can be diagnosed and treated laparoscopically as well as in conventional operation techniques.