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Flashcards in Hernias Deck (29)
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1
Q

Define a hernia. What are the different types?

A

Protrusion of an organ through its containing wall.

  • epigastric
  • umbilical
  • incisional
  • inguinal
  • femoral
  • Spigelian
2
Q

Describe the anatomy of an indirect inguinal hernia.

A

Herniates LATERAL to inferior epigastric artery.

Moves within spermatic cord and enters inguinal canal via deep inguinal ring.

3
Q

Describe the anatomy of a direct inguinal hernia.

A

Herniates MEDIAL to inferior epigastric artery.

Moves outside the spermatic cord and enters the inguinal canal by pushing through Hesselbach’s triangle.

4
Q

Contrast inguinal and femoral hernias.

A

Inguinal hernias are above and medial to the pubic tubercle.

Femoral hernias are below and lateral to the pubic tubercle.

Femoral hernias are more likely to strangulate (against lacunar ligament at the medial border of the femoral canal).

Femoral hernias are more common in women (childbirth stretches ligaments and widens femoral canal) BUT inguinal hernias are still more common overall in women and men.

5
Q

What is a Richter’s hernia?

A

Only a small segment of bowel is strangulated so the lumen remains patent.

Therefore no signs of intestinal obstruction.

More common in femoral hernias (narrower neck)

Risk of missing during hernia repair —> necrosis —> peritonitis

6
Q

What is the aetiology and signs and symptoms for paraumbilical hernias?

A

Middle-old age, females>males, obesity, parity

  • swelling
  • discomfort
  • sometimes pain/tenderness around umbilicus
  • made worse by standing/exercise

note: strangulation of hernia common, but contents are omentum/extraperitoneal fat (so no bowel obstruction)

7
Q

What are the examination findings in paraumbilical hernias?

A

Hernia lateral to umbilical scar which is pushed to one side and becomes crescent-shaped.

Expansile cough impulse.

If it is difficult to clean it can discharge or an ompholith can form.

8
Q

Reminder: what are the borders of the femoral triangle?

A
Base = inguinal ligament 
Lateral = medial margin of sartorius 
Medial = medial margin of adductor longus 
Apex = adductor canal 
Floor = iliopsoas, pectineus, adductor longus 
Roof = skin and fascia
9
Q

Reminder: what is the mid-point of the inguinal ligament?

A

Mid-point between ASIS and pubic tubercle

deep inguinal ring

10
Q

Reminder: what is the mid-inguinal point?

A

Mid-point between ASIS and pubic symphysis

femoral artery

11
Q

Where is the superficial inguinal ring located?

A

Just superior and medial to the pubic tubercle

12
Q

What layers does the inguinal canal travel through?

A

Peritoneum —> Transversalis fascia —> Deep inguinal ring —> Transversalis abdominis —> internal oblique —> external oblique aponeurosis —> Superficial inguinal ring

13
Q

Reminder: what are the borders of the inguinal canal?

A

MALT = muscle (internal oblique - roof), aponeurosis (external oblique - anterior), ligament (inguinal ligament - floor), tendon (transversalis fascia - posterior)

14
Q

Reminder: what are the contents of the inguinal canal?

A

Male

  • spermatic cord (vas deferens, testicular artery, testicular nerves, pampiniform plexus, lymphatics)
  • ilioinguinal nerve

Female:

  • round ligament of uterus
  • ilioinguinal nerve
15
Q

Outline the examination of hernias.

A

SSS CCC TTT

Site
Size
Shape

Consistency
Contours
Colour

Tenderness
Temperature
Transillumination

16
Q

Contrast the positions of different hernias.

A

Inguinal = visible in all but obese

  • direct: superomedial to pubic tubercle
  • indirect: anwhere between deep inguinal ring (midpoint of inguinal ligament) and scrotum/labia majora; reduces obliquely

Femoral = inferolateral to pubic tubercle

Umbilical = beside umbilicus (which is pushed to one side and stretched into crescent shape)

Epigastric = in midline between xiphisternum and umbilicus through linea alba

Spigelian = edge of rectus sheath, inferior to umbilicus, above inguinal area

Obturator = obturator foramen, usually concealed within adductor muscles, medial thigh

Lumbar/gluteal = near site of previous surgery

17
Q

Contrast an epigastric hernia and divarication of the recti.

A

Epigastric hernia = in midline between xiphisternum and umbilicus through linea alba

Divarication of recti = sepearation of rectus abdominis muscles with extenuation of linea alba from xiphisternum to umbilicus (and occasionally below)

note: cosmetic, wide defect does not cause strangulation

18
Q

Contrast the colour of inguinal and femoral hernias.

A

Inguinal = normal unless strangulated (red)

Femoral = always normal, even if strangulated

19
Q

What is the temperature of hernias?

A

Same as surrounding skin except sometimes is warmer when strangulated

20
Q

Contrast the tenderness of inguinal and femoral hernias.

A

Inguinal: normal pressure uncomfortable, strangulated hernias very tender

Femoral: not tender unless strangulated

21
Q

Contrast the shape of inguinal and femoral hernias.

A

Inguinal:

  • direct: round
  • indirect: sausage-shaped (in inguinal canal) or pear-shaped (beyond superficial ring)

Femoral: spherical, neck cannot be clearly defined

22
Q

Contrast the size of inguinal and femoral hernias.

A

Inguinal: small and barely detectable —> large masses descending to knee level

Femoral: small (enlargement limited by Scarper’s fascia —> spread upwards towards fold in groin)

23
Q

Contrast the surface of different hernias.

A

Inguinal = usually smooth (but depends on contents), can sometimes palpate indentable faeces in incarcerated segment

Femoral = usually smooth and firm due to thick-walled fatty sac surrounding contents

Umbilical = soft, compressible, easily reduced

Epigastric = firm

24
Q

What is incarceration of a hernia?

A

Contents are imprisoned in sac by hernia (usually due to adhesions) but still alive and functioning

25
Q

What is obstruction of a hernia?

A

Loop of bowl kinked/trapped within sac of hernia so that the lumen (but not the blood supply) is obstructed but the bowl is still alive

26
Q

What is strangulation of a hernia?

A

Compression/twisting has compromised blood supply to contents, which become ischamia/infarcted

27
Q

What is Maydl’s hernia?

A

Intra-abdominal strangulation due to two adjacent loops of bowel in sac

28
Q

What is a sliding hernia?

A

If bowel which is normally extra-peritoneal forms one side of sac, it is thought to have slid down the canal, pulling peritoneum with it

Hernia-en-glissande

29
Q

What is reduction-en-masse?

A

Possible to apparently reduce hernia without pushing contents out of sac - esp. with strangulated hernia