Laparoscopic surgery for the management of complicated traumatic diaphragmatic hernia

Abstract

Acquired post-traumatic diaphragmatic hernias are rare and may become symptomatic years after the initial trauma, with nonspecific symptoms. We present a case of a 37-year-old male patient with a history of a stab wound who sought medical care for partial intestinal obstruction. The patient was diagnosed with a diaphragmatic hernia after undergoing a computed tomography scan. The laparoscopic approach was used to reduce the herniated organs in the chest, check their viability, evaluate the left hemithorax, and perform primary closure with reinforcement mesh. There were no postoperative complications. This case highlights the importance of diagnostic suspicion and early surgical resolution.