Laparoscopic repair of a traumatic diaphragmatic hernia with repeated colon incarcerations 7 years after injury: a case report

BackgroundA diaphragmatic hernia is a prolapse of the abdominal organs into the thoracic cavity through a hole in the diaphragm. Traumatic diaphragmatic injuries are rare and usually occur after blunt or penetrating thoracic or abdominal traumas. Blunt diaphragmatic rupture rarely accounts for immediate mortality and may go clinically silent until complications occur which can be life threatening. It usually present late with intrathoracic herniation of abdominal viscera and carry a high mortality rate. We experienced a very rare case who showed repeated colon incarcerations 7 years after injury. And, we operated laparoscopically.Case presentationA 64-year-old man presented with multiple left rib fractures that occurred during an accident. After 7 years, he visited the emergency department with the chief complaint of left shoulder pain and epicardial pain after eating. He was diagnosed with transverse colon incarceration due to a left diaphragmatic hernia by computed tomography (CT) and X-ray imaging. Surgical repair was recommended, but he refused as the symptoms improved. Fourteen months later, the patient revisited the hospital in similar symptoms and improved spontaneously. He consulted our hospital for the surgical indication. We recommended that he undergo surgery, showing images of the X-ray and CT when his transverse colon was obstructed and he felt pain and when symptoms improved. Finally, he decided to undergo surgery. We performed diaphragmatic hernia repair with laparoscopic direct suturing in good view. The patient experienced an uneventful postoperative recovery period. The absence of diaphragmatic herniation recurrence was confirmed seven months after surgery.ConclusionsWe experienced a traumatic diaphragmatic hernia with repeated colon incarcerations 7 years after injury and performed surgical repair laparoscopically.