Algorithm for management of an incarcerated inguinal hernia in the emergency settings with manual reduction. Taxis, the technique and its safety

Rectus sheath nerve block for analgesia & incarcerated hernia reduction in the emergency department

BACKGROUND

Patients who present to the emergency department (ED) with incarcerated or strangulated ventral hernias are often in significant pain. Furthermore, even with procedural sedation, reduction itself also causes substantial pain. Hernias that cannot be reduced at the bedside with intravenous opioids or procedural sedation will require emergent surgery, which contributes to morbidity and mortality, especially in high-risk populations.

CASE REPORT

We present the case of a 94-year-old man with an incarcerated ventral hernia that was reduced in the ED with the aid of a rectus sheath block, ultimately avoiding the need for emergent surgical intervention.

IMPLICATIONS

Ultrasound can visualize and diagnose an incarcerated hernia, and a bilateral rectus sheath block can be performed in the ED to anesthetize the peritoneal wall, paralyze abdominal musculature, and achieve nearly painless hernia reduction.

The impact of non-invasive manual and ultrasonographic reduction for incarcerated obturator hernia: a retrospective cohort study and systematic review

PURPOSE

Non-invasive reduction in patients with incarcerated obturator hernias is an emergency surgery alternative. There are two non-invasive reduction types: manual and ultrasonographic (ultrasound-guided and ultrasound-assisted reduction). However, the impact of ultrasound guidance on manual reduction has not been adequately evaluated. We aimed to compare non-invasive ultrasound reduction with manual reduction in patients with incarcerated obturator hernias.

METHODS

We searched MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Library, Embase, Ichushi Web, ClinicalTrial.gov, and ICTRP for relevant studies. The primary outcomes were success and bowel resection rates. We performed a subgroup analysis between ultrasound-guided and ultrasound-assisted reductions. This study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD 42,024,498,295).

RESULTS

We included six studies (112 patients, including 12 from our cohort). The success rate was 78% (69 of 88 cases) with ultrasonographic reduction and 33% (8 of 24 cases) with manual reduction. The success rate was higher with ultrasonographic than with manual reduction. Subgroup analysis revealed no significant difference between ultrasonography-assisted (76%) and ultrasonography-guided (80%) reductions (p = 0.60). Non-invasive reductions were predominantly successful within 72 h of onset, although durations extended up to 216 h in one case. Among the successful reduction cases, emergency surgery and bowel resection were necessary in two cases after 72 h from onset. Bowel resection was required in 48% (12 of 25), where the non-invasive reduction was unsuccessful within 72 h of confirmed onset.

CONCLUSIONS

Ultrasonographic reduction can be a primary treatment option for patients with obturator hernias within 72 h of onset by emergency physicians and surgeons on call. Future prospective studies are needed to evaluate ultrasonographic reduction's impact.

Emergency transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) repair of a strangulated obturator hernia: A literature review and video vignette

Obturator hernia (OH), a rare and potentially life-threatening condition, presents diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. This review article comprehensively delves into the clinical features, diagnosis, and management of OH, with a particular emphasis on the pivotal role of computed tomography (CT) in timely and accurate diagnosis. Delays, particularly in contrast-enhanced CT, dramatically increase mortality due to potential bowel strangulation. To illustrate the challenges and complexities surrounding OH, we present a video vignette of a 74-year-old female patient who presented with symptoms suggestive of bowel obstruction (BO) secondary to a strangulated left-sided OH. This patient case complements the theoretical framework established in the review, serving as a practical example for healthcare professionals. Her presentation included abdominal pain, absence of flatus and bowel movements, and abdominal distension. Laboratory tests demonstrated a mildly elevated white blood cell count and C-reactive protein. CT imaging confirmed the diagnosis of a strangulated OH with an ischemic small bowel. An emergency laparoscopy was undertaken, and the hernia was repaired using the transabdominal preperitoneal approach. A portion of the ischemic small bowel was resected through a 5-cm extension of the umbilical port, and an anastomosis was performed using a modified Barcelona technique. The surgery was successfully completed without immediate or long-term complications. This case highlights the crucial role of timely CT diagnosis and minimally invasive surgical management in achieving improved outcomes in acute BO secondary to OH, particularly when facilitated by pre-operative CT planning.

Update of the international HerniaSurge guidelines for groin hernia management

BACKGROUND

Groin hernia repair is one of the most common operations performed globally, with more than 20 million procedures per year. The last guidelines on groin hernia management were published in 2018 by the HerniaSurge Group. The aim of this project was to assess new evidence and update the guidelines. The guideline is intended for general and abdominal wall surgeons treating adult patients with groin hernias.

METHOD

A working group of 30 international groin hernia experts and all involved stakeholders was formed and examined all new literature on groin hernia management, available until April 2022. Articles were screened for eligibility and assessed according to GRADE methodologies. New evidence was included, and chapters were rewritten. Statements and recommendations were updated or newly formulated as necessary.

RESULTS

Ten chapters of the original HerniaSurge inguinal hernia guidelines were updated. In total, 39 new statements and 32 recommendations were formulated (16 strong recommendations). A modified Delphi method was used to reach consensus on all statements and recommendations among the groin hernia experts and at the European Hernia Society meeting in Manchester on October 21, 2022.

CONCLUSION

The HerniaSurge Collaboration has updated the international guidelines for groin hernia management. The updated guidelines provide an overview of the best available evidence on groin hernia management and include evidence-based statements and recommendations for daily practice. Future guideline development will change according to emerging guideline methodology.

Current opinions in inguinal hernia emergencies: A comprehensive review of related evidences

INTRODUCTION:

Groins hernia emergencies are evaluated under two definitions: incarceration that is defined as a hernia in which its content becomes irreducible at the passage in the abdominal wall and strangulation that compromises the blood supply to the omentum and/or intestines within the hernia sac. The purpose of this paper was to determine the latest knowledge about groin hernia emergencies.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

PubMed and Google Scholar searches were done by using combinations of “inguinal hernia” and “emergency”, and “groin hernia” and “emergency” keywords at first. More detailed searches were performed to enrich the “Surgical treatment” part of the paper by using “emergency hernia” and “mesh”, “emergency hernia,” and “laparoscopic versus open” keywords afterward.

RESULTS:

Approximately 5%–10% of all inguinal repairs are performed in emergency settings. Both lateral and medial inguinal hernias can get incarcerated or strangulated, whereas the risk for femoral hernias is higher. Manual reduction of incarcerated inguinal hernias is successful in approximately 60% of the cases. The prediction of bowel ischemia due to strangulation may be possible with some blood tests and imaging studies like ultrasound and computed tomography. It has been shown that the longer the duration of incarceration the higher the risk of bowel ischemia. Bowel resection which is more frequently necessary in patients with advanced age, female gender, and femoral hernia, is associated with an increased risk of perioperative mortality. Some surgeons still use tissue-suture repairs in an emergency setting; however, mesh repairs have been shown to be safe unless there is an overt contamination.

CONCLUSION:

Early treatment of complicated groin hernias is the key to favorable outcomes. The need for bowel resection and advanced age are the most prominent factors for morbidity and mortality. Mesh repairs are safe in most cases. Minimally invasive approaches promise good results in experienced centers.

Nomogram for the Estimation of Intestinal Necrosis Risk in Incarcerated Inguinal Hernia in Infants under 6 Months

OBJECTIVE

 This article develops a nomogram to estimate intestinal necrosis risk in the incarcerated inguinal hernia (IIH) in infants under 6 months.

METHODS

 A total of 273 infants who underwent an emergency operation due to IIH were investigated retrospectively. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyze the relationship between variables and intestinal necrosis and construct a nomogram of intestinal necrosis. The discrimination and concordance of the model were verified by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and calibration curve, and the bootstrap method was used for internal validation of the model. The clinical applicability of the model was evaluated using the decision curve and the clinical impact curve.

RESULTS

 Intestinal necrosis was found in 37 of 273 infants (13.6%) in this study. The vomiting symptoms, platelet count, C-reactive protein, and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio were independent risk factors for intestinal necrosis in IIH. We then constructed a nomogram with these four factors. ROC analysis showed that the nomogram had a good diagnostic performance, with the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity of 0.918 (95% confidence interval: 0.880-0.956), 97.3%, and 69.9%, respectively. The nomogram was further validated using 2,000-repetition internal bootstrap validation, and the values of AUC, sensitivity, and specificity were 0.899, 95.7%, and 50.5%, respectively. The decision curve and the clinical impact curve indicated that the predictive model has a favorable clinical application.

CONCLUSION

 The nomogram can be used to predict intestinal necrosis in IIH, and allow us to estimate the severity of IIH more accurately and arrange the treatment process more reasonably.