Laparoscopic repair of an incarcerated bochdalek hernia in an elderly man

Congenital posterolateral diaphragmatic defects, such as Bochdalek hernias (BHs), usually present during the neonatal period with respiratory symptoms and are associated with significant mortality (1). However, a subset of patients with BHs may remain asymptomatic during childhood, and the condition may present as a surgical emergency in adulthood (2). Surgical repair of the defect is the recommended therapy for all patients with BHs, regardless of the presence of symptoms (3). Traditionally, the repair of diaphragmatic defects has been performed via laparotomy or thoracotomy, but the use of laparoscopy has challenged the use of these traditional procedures. However, the laparoscopic management of incarcerated BH is rarely reported. In the present paper, we report the case of a patient who presented with a partial colonic obstruction that was caused by an incarcerated transverse colon through a Bochdalek defect and treated using a laparoscopic approach.