Intestinal wall hernia - information and specialists

Littré (or Littré-Richter hernia) is also known colloquially as a bowel wall hernia. It is a small opening in the abdominal wall into which a part of the intestinal wall extends. As the intestinal wall hernia does not usually lead to a complete stop of the intestinal passage, the course is usually asymptomatic. Nevertheless, you should have an intestinal wall hernia surgically closed to prevent the intestine from becoming trapped.

You can find out what the treatment of an intestinal wall hernia looks like and where you can find selected specialists here.

What is an intestinal wall hernia?

A hernia is a congenital opening in the abdominal wall or one that occurs later in life. The hernia sac, which may contain parts of the intestine or intestinal wall, can extend into this opening. In such a case, doctors speak of an intestinal wall hernia or a Littré-Richter hernia.

A hernia can usually be recognized from the outside by the bulge @ wanniwat /AdobeStock

What types of hernia are there?

There are classically three types of abdominal wall hernia:

• Internal hernias(diaphragmatic hernia)
• External hernias(umbilical hernia, abdominal wall hernia or midline hernia in the upper abdomen)
• Rare hernias (intestinal wall hernia, Littré-Richter hernia)

How can you recognize a hernia?

You can recognize hernias, such as an intestinal wall hernia, by a small protrusion in the abdomen. The doctor will palpate you during the examination to detect the hernia, the hernial sac and the hernial canal.

He will also check whether the hernia sac reacts with pressure pain and whether the tissue can be pushed back into the hernial orifice. When listening to the intestinal wall hernia, doctors use the intestinal sounds to determine whether parts of the intestine are trapped.

The treatment of hernias

In the case of a hernia, the abdominal wall no longer grows together on its own. The hernial orifice usually becomes even larger over time. This increases the risk of the bowel becoming trapped in the hernia.

Such an intestinal incarceration is a life-threatening complication, as the intestinal tissue can die due to the lack of blood flow. For this reason, doctors recommend an operation in the event of an intestinal wall hernia . During the operation, they close the hernial orifice again.

There are various approaches available to the surgeon:

• Minimally invasive hernia surgery

As a rule, doctors resort to minimally invasive hernia surgery. With this keyhole method, doctors only make small incisions.

This means that:

• The tissue injury is smaller
• The risk of infection is lower and
• The recovery time is shorter

Smaller scars and the possibility of outpatient surgery are the advantages of the minimally invasive procedure.

• Open surgery

However, if the hernial orifice is very large, doctors often opt for open surgery. This procedure is performed as an inpatient in hospital and requires a longer recovery period.

In many cases, suturing a large hernia opening is not sufficient to close the hernia permanently. The abdominal wall has no regenerative capacity to repair hernias on its own.

If doctors only sutured the large hernial orifice, the hernia would reappear after some time. To avoid this, doctors use plastic mesh during the operation.

Centers and doctors for an intestinal wall hernia

Do you notice a visible and/or palpable bulge in the abdominal wall and/or pain in the abdomen? Then you should see a doctor immediately.

They will make an initial diagnosis and then send you directly to a specialist in general surgery and visceral surgery. These are located either in their own practice or in a hospital.

Here you will find selected contacts and specialist clinics for hernia surgery that have particular experience in the treatment of intestinal wall hernias.