A 60-year-old man, who underwent repair of left inguinal hernia 13 days after manual reduction of its incarceration at the emergency clinic, developed ileus symptoms 3 days after the operation. He was diagnosed as having ileus, which was alleviated by short-term conservative therapy. The same episode repeated several times within a few weeks, and he was admitted to the hospital for further investigation on the 21st postoperative day. Barium examination of the intestine from a long tube revealed a stenotic portion of the small intestine in the pelvic cavity, about 35 cm from the ileal end. Because of repeated symptoms and the presence of small bowel stenosis, the stenotic portion of the ileum was resected. Pathological examination of the specimen revealed that the stenosis was due to ischemic enteritis. Postoperative course was uneventful and the patient has been symptom-free.
Incarcerated inguinal hernia is not an uncommon disease, but long-term follow-up is needed after reduction of the hernia considering the late onset small bowel stenosis caused by ischemic enteritis.