Konkena Janardhana Rao, Metta Rajagopal, Karumuri Prudhviraj, Adusumalli Ramya Sai
BACKGROUND Hernia is a common clinical condition encountered in surgical practice. Obstruction and strangulation are the commonest complications, which usually present as surgical emergencies. Emergency repair of complicated hernias is associated with poor prognosis and a high rate of post-operative complications even with adequate pre and post-operative care, improved anaesthetic management and advanced surgical techniques. MATERIALS AND METHODS Our study was carried out among 41 patients of hernia, who had complicated clinical presentations like obstruction and strangulation in the emergency department of King George Hospital, Visakhapatnam, during the period from January 2016 to June 2017. The aim of this study was to determine the various modes of presentation, clinical findings, diagnostic and therapeutic strategies and to evaluate the postoperative outcome in complicated hernia management in our set up. RESULTS The highest incidence of complicated hernias in our study was in the age group of 41-50 years, seen more in males as compared to females. Obstructed and strangulated hernias had almost similar incidence. Of the different types of anatomical hernias that got complicated, inguinal hernias were the most common. The procedures that were performed included herniotomy, herniorrhaphy, orchidectomy, laparotomy, resection and anastomosis. CONCLUSION Complicated presentations of hernias like incarceration and strangulation are quite common in the north coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh. The cumulative risk of strangulation increases with time and type of hernias. Timely diagnosis and prompt surgical repair is essential to prevent the complications.
