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An unusual cause of chronic anemia and abdominal pain caused by transmural mesh migration in the small bowel after laparoscopic incisional hernia repair

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Abstract

Mesh repair of incisional hernia is recommended to reduce recurrence. Recognized complications include mesh infection and fistula. Composite meshes with antiadhesive barriers were designed for intraperitoneal placement to reduce adhesion formation and fistulization to the viscera. Transmural mesh migration is a rare complication of hernia repair with composite mesh and can be present with a variety of symptoms. We report an interesting case of transmural mesh migration into the small bowel presenting with chronic microcytic anemia and abdominal pain 5 years after laparoscopic incisional hernia repair with a composite polypropylene/ePTFE mesh.

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Acknowledgments

GV declares no conflict of interest. LSF receives educational grant support from Covidien outside the submitted work, research grant support from Ethicon outside the submitted work, consultancy for Covidien outside the submitted work, and no conflict of interest that directly relates to this study. No outside sources of funding were obtained for the conduct of this study or the writing of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Steinberg-Bernstein Centre for Minimally Invasive Surgery and Innovation, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada

    G. Voisard

  2. Department of Surgery, McGill University Health Centre, 1650 Cedar Avenue, L9-303, Montreal, QC, H3G 1A4, Canada

    L. S. Feldman

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  1. G. Voisard
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  2. L. S. Feldman
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Correspondence to L. S. Feldman.

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Voisard, G., Feldman, L.S. An unusual cause of chronic anemia and abdominal pain caused by transmural mesh migration in the small bowel after laparoscopic incisional hernia repair. Hernia 17, 673–677 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10029-013-1127-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10029-013-1127-2

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