Neglected Incisional Hernia Becomes a Life-Threatening Emergency: A Case Report

TL;DR

A woman's long-standing abdominal hernia led to a rare life-threatening emergency requiring urgent surgery.

Contribution

Presents a rare case of spontaneous bowel evisceration with skin gangrene from an incisional hernia.

Findings

Nontraumatic spontaneous rupture of an incisional hernia caused bowel obstruction and evisceration.

Emergency laparotomy with myofascial repair successfully managed the complication.

Skin gangrene and hernia rupture were unusual features in this case.

Abstract

Although complications are common following abdominal surgeries, the nontraumatic spontaneous rupture and obstruction with skin gangrene of an incisional hernia leading to bowel evisceration is unusual. This report describes the case of a 40-year-old female with a long-standing incisional hernia that presented as a spontaneous evisceration of an obstructed bowel with evidence of skin rupture and gangrene. She was managed with an emergency laparotomy with myofascial anterior component separation and onlay mesh repair.

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