Background: To decrease the incidence of internal hernia after laparoscopic gastric bypass, current recommendations include closure of mesenteric defects. Laparoscopic gastric resection is used increasingly for the treatment of gastric cancer, but the incidence of internal hernia in the treated patients has not been studied.
Methods: This study retrospectively reviewed 173 patients who underwent laparoscopic resection for gastric cancer at one institution, including distal and total gastric resections with antecolic Roux-en-Y reconstruction.
Results: An internal hernia occurred in 4 (7%) of 58 patients whose jejunojejunal mesenteric defect was not closed a mean of 326 days after surgery. All the patients underwent reoperation with reduction and repair of the hernia. In 115 subsequent cases, with closure of the mesenteric defect, internal hernias did not occur (0/115 cases; p < 0.05).
Conclusion: Based on the current recommendations for patients undergoing bariatric surgery, closure of this potential hernia defect is mandatory after laparoscopic gastrectomy with a Roux-en-Y reconstruction for gastric cancer.