Four Cases of Incarcerated Umbilical Hernia in Adults that Required Emergency Surgery

• Published in: Nihon Fukubu Kyukyu Igakkai Zasshi (Journal of Abdominal Emergency Medicine) Vol. 39; no. 7; pp. 1199 - 1203
• Main Authors: Kohara, Yuichiro, Katsura, Hikotaro, Kumode, Wataru
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japanese Society for Abdominal Emergency Medicine 30.11.2019
• ISSN: 1340-2242; 1882-4781
• DOI: 10.11231/jaem.39.1199

Incarcerated umbilical hernias in adults are sometimes associated with poor outcomes, because of comorbidities such as liver cirrhosis and severe obesity. We report four adult cases of incarcerated umbilical hernia. The patients ranged in age from 54 to 92 years (median 63.5). The male-to-female ratio was 3: 1. The body mass index ranged from 20.3 to 27.4 (median 24.1). Three out of the four patients had a history of liver cirrhosis. All the patients were treated by surgery under general anesthesia. Suture repair was performed in two, patients and mesh repair in the remaining two. Only one patient needed resection for a strangulated segment of the small intestine. Two of the four patients needed ventilatory support after the surgery. The length of hospital stay was 8 to 37 days (median 13). None of the patients died or developed recurrence of the hernia. The two patients who had liver cirrhosis needed ventilatory support after the surgery despite having been in a good condition preoperatively. Surgery under local anesthesia can be considered in umbilical hernia patients who are high-risk cases for general anesthesia.