Morgagni Hernia Repair: A Review

Anteromedial subcostosternal defects, also known as a diaphragmatic hernia of Morgagni (MH), allow potentially life-threatening herniation of the abdominal organs into the thorax. Constituting only a small fraction of all types of congenital diaphragmatic hernias, correct diagnosis of MH is often delayed, owing in large part to nonspecific associated respiratory and gastrointestinal complaints. Once identified, the primary management for both symptomatic and incidentally discovered asymptomatic cases of MH are surgical correction because the herniated contents present increasing risk for strangulation. Various thoracic and abdominal surgical approaches have been described without a clear consensus on preference for operative repair technique. In this article, the literature regarding management of MH within the past decade is reviewed, and an illustrative case of laparoscopic repair of a MH with novel reinforcement using a Falciform ligament onlay flap is presented.

Technical description of laparoscopic Morgagni hernia repair with primary closure and onlay composite mesh placement

INTRODUCTION

Morgagni hernias rarely present in adult life and, thus, little data exist on the optimal method of surgical repair. The laparoscopic approach has grown in popularity since the first reported case in 1992. This article showcases a method for laparoscopic repair of Morgagni hernias using both primary closure and mesh reinforcement.

OPERATIVE APPROACH

There were three obese women who presented in adulthood with cardiopulmonary symptoms; in all cases, the symptoms were attributable to local compressive effects of large Morgagni hernias. All three hernias were repaired laparoscopically, first by approximating the diaphragm to the fascia of the anterior abdominal wall, followed by insertion of a composite mesh, tacked to the diaphragm, to buttress the closure. All patients had excellent outcomes with symptom resolution.

DISCUSSION

This case series describes a method of laparoscopic Morgagni hernia repair using primary closure reinforced with a mesh, with excellent postoperative outcomes. Others have described thoracic or open approaches. The authors feel that the method described herein is likely to reduce recurrence in a patient population who are often overweight or obese and, thus, have a high risk of this complication. Furthermore, we discuss all reported laparoscopic repair cases in the literature and highlight the paucity of evidence on the optimal approach.

Outpatient single-port laparoscopic percutaneous Morgagni hernia repair assisted by an optical forceps

Morgagni hernia is a relatively rare form of diaphragmatic hernia in the pediatric age group and it is conventionally treated with open surgical repair. Minimal access surgery is currently being adapted for many procedures in children. However, to date just a few techniques have been described relevant to minimal access surgical repair of Morgagni hernia in children. Herein, we report two cases of Morgagni hernia repaired by a new single-port laparoscopic technique assisted by an optical forceps. Two infants, a one-year-old boy and an eight-month-old girl, were operated with this technique in just 26 and 35 min and were discharged with oral analgesic prescription by postoperative hour 5 and 8, respectively. In the English-language literature, these cases are the first reports of laparoscopic Morgagni hernia repair that were performed as an outpatient procedure. Also, the technique introduced can be easily applied by a single surgeon without an assistant to operate the laparoscope.

Non-intubated laparoscopic repair of giant Morgagni's hernia for a young man

An asymptomatic patient was admitted as his chest photograph and computed tomography scans showed a giant Morgagni's hernia (MH). And it was repaired by laparoscopic approach under epidural anesthesia without endotracheal intubation. The hernia content of omentum was repositioned back into the abdominal cavity, and the diaphragmatic defect was repaired with composite mesh. Which indicated that non-intubated laparoscopic mesh repair via epidural anesthesia is reliable and satisfactory for MH.