Traumatic abdominal wall hernia from handlebar injury, laparoscopic repair - Report of two cases

Although rare, traumatic abdominal wall hernia associated with handlebar injury is a well-described entity in the pediatric population with about 40 cases and only one laparoscopic repair reported in children. We present two cases of male patients, 9 and 13 years old, who were assessed in our emergency room for blunt abdominal trauma associated with handlebar injury. The patients showed signs of handlebar trauma in the abdominal wall: one presented with a painful mass, and the other with intermittent pain in the area of trauma with no palpable mass. Neither of the patients were hemodynamically unstable or showed any peritoneal signs. Ultrasound and CT scans were performed in both patients to identify abdominal wall hernias containing bowel content in the absence of other injuries. Laparoscopic repair was performed uneventfully in both patients with interrupted non-absorbable multifilament suture with 2 and 3 ports respectively. Oral intake was initiated one day after surgery and both patients were discharged the following day. In the follow-up visit, the patients were asymptomatic and no signs of abdominal wall hernias were found. Laparoscopic repair of blunt traumatic abdominal wall hernias is safe and technically possible in children and should be considered as the standard initial approach in the stable patient.