248 Rectus flap for repair of Strangulated Obturator Hernia

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Obturator hernia (OH) is a rare abdominal wall hernia which commonly presents as small bowel obstruction. Surgical options include suture repair or use of autologous tissue or a mesh repair when primary suture repair is not feasible. We describe a case involving the use of the rectus abdominus muscle to repair a large OH. Case report An 81-year-old female presented with three days of abdominal distension and vomiting. A computerised tomography scan confirmed small bowel obstruction due to an obstructed left OH. At laparotomy, a short segment of non-viable distal ileum was reduced from the sac and resected with a primary anastomosis. The obturator defect was not amenable for suture approximation and due to concerns of possible mesh infection, the ipsilateral rectus muscle belly was mobilised from the anterior sheath, routed extra-peritoneally to plug the defect without tension. The muscle was anchored with prolene sutures to the cooper’s ligament, pectineus muscle and the fascia overlying the inner surface of inferior pubic ramus. Four months post-operatively, she has made an excellent recovery with no concerns currently. Conclusions In OH with a large defect precluding primary suture repair, a range of options have been described (use of autogenous peritoneal fold, pectineus muscle, round ligament, ovary, uterine fundus, omental and mesh plugs, and biological mesh). We believe, to plug and cover the defect, rectus muscle flap is a viable option giving a tension free robust repair, especially in patients with gangrenous bowel and local contamination.