Giant right post-traumatic diaphragmatic hernia: laparoscopic repair without a mesh.

Diaphragmatic ruptures are fairly frequent after thoraco-abdominal traumas (0.8-5%). In 90% of cases, they are left-sided. In the literature, very few cases are treated by laparoscopy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of laparoscopic repair of a giant right post-traumatic diaphragmatic hernia without the use of a mesh. We present the case of a 28-year-old male operated by the laparoscopic approach for a giant right post-traumatic diaphragmatic hernia, diagnosed 18 months after the trauma. Surgical repair was carried out by means of 10 non-absorbable interrupted stitches, without the use of a mesh. The duration of the operation was 145 minutes. The patient was discharged 3 days after the surgical procedure, and no complications occurred. After a 40-month follow-up, the patient is asymptomatic and healthy. Laparoscopic repair of post-traumatic diaphragmatic hernias without the use of a mesh is safe and effective and affords an early postoperative recovery.