Internal hernia and small bowel obstruction caused by a linear cutter staple at appendiceal stump following laparoscopic appendectomy

Commonly linear staplers are used to perform laparoscopic appendectomies. We report a case of a small bowel obstruction caused by a staple on the appendiceal stump creating an internal hernia <1 week after laparoscopic appendectomy. We discuss the available literature on bowel obstructions caused by staples. Most of the discussed complications were caused by staples free in the abdomen, which were remote from the staple line. Generally, loose staples do not cause problems, but if noted during the operation, we recommend removal to prevent future obstruction.