Massive mesenteric ischemia resulting from a giant strangulated umbilical hernia

Hernia repair is the most commonly practiced operation in the departments of surgery in developed countries. Huge abdominal hernias are uncommon in western civilization. We present a rare case of a 73-year-old woman with a diagnosis at admission of intestinal obstruction caused by a giant strangulated umbilical hernia. At the clinical and radiological examination, the patient showed an enormous strangulated umbilical hernia with acute abdomen, atrial fibrillation, and pulmonary subedema. Emergency laparotomy showed a huge peritoneal umbilical sac containing massive mesenteric ischemia starting from 40 cm after the Treitz ligament and extended to the right colonic flexure. A near-total resection of the small bowel, a right colectomy with double terminal stomas, and a direct hernia repair without prosthetic mesh were performed. Twenty days after the operation, the patient was discharged and begun domiciliary total parenteral nutrition, and 24 months after surgical treatment she is still alive.