Incarcerated femoral hernia treated with elective totally extraperitoneal repair: a case report

Abstract

Incarcerated groin hernia is a common surgical emergency. However, reports of incarcerated femoral hernia treated with elective totally extraperitoneal repair are extremely rare. A 62-year-old woman visited our hospital with lower abdominal pain and bulging from a right groin lesion. The patient was diagnosed as having right incarcerated femoral hernia containing greater omentum by computed tomography. As there were no clear findings of intestinal obstruction and peritonitis, elective surgery was performed. Intraoperatively, the hernia sac had herniated into the right femoral canal. We could release the hernia sac using laparoscopic forceps. After reduction of the hernia sac, polypropylene mesh was placed in the preperitoneal space and fixed to Cooper’s ligament. The patient’s postoperative course was uneventful, and she was discharged 3 days after surgery. We consider elective totally extraperitoneal repair for incarcerated femoral hernia to be an effective procedure for selected patients who have been diagnosed accurately.

Femoral Hernia: Uncommon, but Associated With Potentially Severe Complications

“…Femoral hernia and direct and indirect inguinal hernia are grouped together as groin hernia. Although femoral hernia is relatively rare, accounting for only 2-4% of all groin hernias, its importance is due to the high incidence of incarceration and strangulation 12 , 13 , 26 . Although femoral hernia is 8 to 10 times more common in females than males, indirect inguinal hernia is the most common hernia in both genders 1 , 6 , 18 , 23 , 24 .…”