Management of intestinal obstruction following laparoscopic donor nephrectomy

Abstract

Internal hernias are a rare cause of small bowel obstruction. Following laparoscopic bariatric surgery, specifically gastric bypass and laparoscopic colonic resections, there has been an increase in the incidence of internal hernias. This has been due to either a mesenteric or mesocolic defect being not closed or completely missed. Small bowel loops usually herniate through these defects and present as intestinal obstruction. Internal hernia following laparoscopic donor nephrectomy is a rare complication. The need for presenting this case is the rarity of its occurrence, to stress the fact that following major abdominal laparoscopic surgery the mesenteric or mesocolic defects should be closed, and that this complication was managed laparoscopically, through the same port sites as used earlier for the donor nephrectomy.

Keywords

• Donor nephrectomy
• internal hernia
• laparoscopy