Robotic repair of a large abdominal intercostal hernia: a case report and review of literature

Abdominal intercostal hernia is an uncommon phenomenon, reported in few case reports and small case series. If left untreated, it can lead to strangulation and visceral ischemia. Prompt diagnosis and appropriate surgical intervention are thus critical to prevent resulting morbidity. We present a 50-year-old woman with a large abdominal intercostal hernia after an open nephrectomy. She underwent a successful robotic repair of the hernia with mesh placement. Through the presentation, we would like to raise awareness of intercostal hernia as a complication of open nephrectomy and significance of early diagnosis in avoiding potential morbidity. We also performed a review of literature especially focusing on acquired abdominal intercostal hernia secondary to prior surgery. Although intercostal hernias can be difficult to repair secondary to the size and location, adequate visualization and surgical planning are critical to successful repair.