title: Colonic obstruction secondary to incarcerated Spigelian hernia in a severely obese patient.
abstract: Spigelian hernia is a rare hernia of the ventral abdominal wall accounting for 1-2% of all hernias. Incarceration of a Spigelian hernia has been reported in 17-24% of the cases. We herein describe an extremely rare case of a colonic obstruction secondary to an incarcerated Spigelian hernia in a severely obese patient. Physical examination was inconclusive and diagnosis was established by computed tomography scans. The patient underwent an open intraperitoneal mesh repair. A high level of suspicion and awareness is required as clinical findings of a Spigelian hernia are often nonspecific especially in obese patients. Computed tomography scan provides detailed information for the surgical planning. Open mesh repair is safe in the emergent surgical intervention of a complicated Spigelian hernia in severely obese patients.
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Surgery, Army General Hospital, 19 Taxiarhon Str, 19014 Kapandriti, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Nikolaos S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Salemis
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kontoravdis
authors.forename: Stavros
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gourgiotis
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Panagiotopoulos
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gakis
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dimitrakopoulos
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