Abstract
Injury to pelvic nerves during laparoscopy mostly occurs in gynecological and urological procedures. In abdominal surgery, these complications are infrequent. We present a case report of a patient who suffered a rare obturator nerve injury during a laparoscopic hernioplasty caused by clipping the nerve to the edge of the mesh. After revision and release of nerve from the clip and scars tissue, the associated pain rapidly disappeared and thigh adduction strength improved. Now, 4 years later, MRI and EMG show no sign of nerve compression.
References
Vasilev SA (1994) Obturator nerve injury: a review of management options. Gynecol Oncol 53(2):152–155
Bischoff C, Schonle PW (1991) Obturator nerve injuries during intra-abdominal surgery. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 93(1):73–76
Lindner A, Schulte-Mattler W, Zierz S (1997) Postpartal obturator neuropathy: case report and review of nerve compression syndromes during pregnancy and delivery. Zentralbl Gynakol 119(3):93–99
Spiliopoulos K, Williams Z (2011) Femoral branch to obturator nerve transfer for restoration of thigh adduction following iatrogenic injury: case report. J Neurosurg 114(6):1529–1533
Cardosi RJ, Cox CS, Hoffman MS (2002) Postoperative neuropathies after major pelvic surgery. Obstet Gynecol 100(2):240–244
Kirchmair L, Lirk P, Colvin J et al (2008) Lumbar plexus and psoas major muscle: not always as expected. Reg Anesth Pain Med 33(2):109–114
Topal B, Hourlay P (1997) Totally preperitoneal endoscopic inguinal hernia repair. Br J Surg 84(1):61–63
Seddon HJ (1954) Medical Research Council Special Report Series, no. 282. Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. Peripheral Nerve Injuries, London
Simons MP, Aufenacker T, Bay-Nielsen M et al (2009) European hernia society guidelines on the treatment of inguinal hernia in adult patients. Hernia 13(4):343–403
Alfieri S, Amid PK, Campanelli G et al (2011) International guidelines for prevention and management of post-operative chronic pain following inguinal hernia surgery. Hernia 15(3):239–249
Hakeem A, Shanmugam V (2011) Inguinodynia following Lichtenstein tension-free hernia repair: a review. World J Gastroenterol 17(14):1791–1796
Kitagawa R, Kim D, Reid N et al (2009) Surgical management of obturator nerve lesions. Neurosurgery 65(Suppl 4):A24–A28
Ferzli GS, Frezza EE, Pecoraro AM Jr et al (1999) Prospective randomized study of stapled versus unstapled mesh in a laparoscopic preperitoneal inguinal hernia repair. J Am Coll Surg 188:461–465
Koch CA, Greenlee SM, Larson DR et al (2006) Randomized prospective study of totally extraperitoneal inguinal hernia repair: fixation versus no fixation of mesh. JSLS 10:457–460
Aasvang E, Kehlet H (2005) Surgical management of chronic pain after inguinal hernia repair. Br J Surg 92(7):795–801
Rafii A, Querleu D (2006) Laparoscopic obturator nerve neurolysis after pelvic lymphadenectomy. J Minim Invasive Gynecol 13(1):17–19
Acknowledgments
This study was supported by the grants IGA NS 10496-3/2009, MSM 0021620816 and Charles University in Prague, PRVOUK P34.
Conflict of interest
The authors report no conflict of interest concerning the materials or methods used in this study or the findings specified in this paper.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Haninec, P., Horak, L. & Kaiser, R. Obturator nerve injury in laparoscopic inguinal hernia mesh repair. Hernia 17, 801–804 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10029-012-0972-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10029-012-0972-8