EP.FRI.35 Traumatic abdominal wall hernia (TAWH) in a 16 year old boy

Definition Traumatic abdominal wall hernia is defined as: herniation of viscera through disrupted musculature & fascia associated with forceful trauma without skin penetration & no evidence of prior hernia defect prior to trauma Introduction There are only about 30 reported cases of TAWH due to handlebar injury, it is a rare complication of blunt abdominal trauma it involves disruption of abdominal wall muscles with bowel loops herniating through the abdominal wall defect & may be accompanied by serious or lethal complications Case report A 16 year old boy received trauma while cycling at about: 5 miles/hour & landed in the handle-bar with his right lower abdominal wall against the handle, the patient's vital signs were stable but there was bruising in the area, the diagnosis was missed by A&E doctor, but I saw him O/E there was a positive cough impulse & the diagnosis was confirmed by US examination, his haematological & biochemical investigations were normal, patient was taken to theatre & the hernia was repaired (image 2 & 3) Conclusion our case highlights the importance of clinical examination in blunt abdominal trauma & high index of suspicion plus using US/CT as appropriate to rule out mesenteric or visceral injury

Mesh hernioplasty in emergency repair of traumatic abdominal wall hernia following bull horn injury

Traumatic abdominal wall hernia (TAWH) is uncommon, mostly following motor vehicle accidents, fall from height and bullfighting. Bullhorn injury, common in rural areas, presents as either penetrating injuries to the abdomen or blunt injuries leading to internal organs injury. Rarely the bull horn injury may lead to TAWH. We report a 70-year-old female from a rural area who suffered bull horn injury to the abdomen leading to TAWH without penetrating the horn and was managed in the emergency by an open mesh hernioplasty. We suture closed the 10×5 cm size defect and reinforced it with a polypropylene mesh of 15×15 cm in the emergency setting. The patient recovered well without any complications or recurrence and doing well at 1 year of follow-up. Mesh hernioplasty can be considered a feasible and safe option in the emergency repair of traumatic abdominal hernia following bull horn injury.