Successful Surgical Repair of Left-Sided Diaphragmatic Hernia after Adult Orthotopic Liver Transplantation: Case Report

Postoperative delayed diaphragmatic hernia (DH) is a rare and uncommon event after adult orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT), which however could be potentially life-threatening complication, especially in the absence of early and correct diagnosis and appropriate surgical treatment. We present a case of 48 year-old male with left diaphragmatic herniation of left part of transverse colon, who thirty nine months before underwent OLT with right-sided allograft implantation and which was recently successfully managed by open abdominal approach in our institution. The postoperative course was uneventful and he was discharged at the 8th day after surgery. Our case illustrates, that delayed DH after the OLT in adults could be a new problem, which affect transplant recipients with long-term follow-up period. Hence, we consider, that once the diagnosis of DH is confirmed, the patient should be operated immediately, in order to avoid the possible life-threatening complications.