CASE REPORT   

Chirurgia 2004 August;17(4):137-42

Copyright © 2004 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Strangulated paraesophageal hernia: description of two cases

Drakou A., Goudis K., Prapas I., Naoum E.

Strangulation, one of the most dangerous complications of the paraesophageal hernia, is presented. The impedance to the normal progression of gastric contents, the disorders of gastric wall vascularization and their consequences in the respiratory and circulatory function can threaten the patient's life and they must be rapidly diagnosed and treated. Two cases of strangulated paraesophageal hernia treated in our clinic, in the last 6 years, are presented. The 1st patient is a 44-year old man and the 2nd patient is a 72-year old man. The symptoms of strangulated paraesophageal hernia can be various and atypical and the diagnosi, may be difficult and delayed. The deterioration of the patient's clinical condition can be quick and dramatic, even in young patients and the treatment has to be immediate. Due to the severity of the disease, the sudden and acute complications that can evolve during its course, and the complications that can appear in the postoperative period after an urgent surgical intervention, it is recommended to perform elective surgery, after every new diagnosis of paraesophageal hernia and before the onset of the complications such as strangulation.