Laparoscopic reduction of an acute gastric volvulus and repair of a hernia of Bochdalek

We report a case of an acute strangulated gastric volvulus in a hernia of Bochdalek in an adult female patient that was repaired successfully via the laparoscopic approach. A left-sided diaphragmatic hernia contained a strangulated but viable gastric volvulus and a noncompromised colon. The contents of the hernia were reduced, and the 4-cm congenital diaphragmatic defect was primarily repaired with nonabsorbable sutures. The patient was discharged on the second postoperative day and remained symptom-free at 7 months. Unlike the very few previous reports of elective laparoscopic repair of uncomplicated Bochdalek hernias, this appears to be the first report of an urgent laparoscopic repair of a complicated hernia of this type.