Richter hernia: a rare complication of laparoscopy

A case of Richter hernia in the umbilical trocar site following laparoscopic cholecystectomy is presented. The fascia was not specifically closed after the laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The Richter hernia presented 2 days later, suffered a delay in diagnosis because of persistence of bowel function and required bowel resection 9 days later. A total of four known postoperative umbilical trocar site hernias, two of which were Richter hernias, have been reported following 1,979 laparoscopic cholecystectomies in two large community hospitals in Colorado: Saint Joseph Hospital in Denver and North Colorado Medical Center in Greeley. Thus, periumbilical trocar site incisional hernias following laparoscopic cholecystectomy are rare but potentially dangerous because of the susceptibility to Richter hernia.