Iatrogenic eventration of the hemidiaphragm in a post-bariatric surgery patient

Abstract

Abstract The aim of this report is to describe the management of an iatrogenic diaphragmatic eventration following surgery to relieve neurogenic symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome in a patient with a prior history of sleeve gastrectomy. We discuss the case of a 46-year-old woman with a 6-month history of gastro-oesophageal reflux and dyspnoea. Imaging demonstrated a left hemidiaphragm eventration and hiatus hernia. The patient underwent laparoscopic plication of the left hemidiaphragm, repair of the hiatus hernia, and an omega loop gastric bypass, with satisfactory resolution of her symptoms. This demonstrates that surgical diaphragmatic plication has good outcomes in cases where the abdominal anatomy is already altered as a result of previous bariatric surgery, and that concurrent hiatus hernia repair, plication of iatrogenic diaphragm eventration, and sleeve to gastric bypass conversion satisfactorily relieve reflux and dyspnoea in a morbidly obese patient.