Unusual findings during hernia repair surgery. Our experience

Background: Hernia repair operations are among the commonest surgical interventions. Despite being a deeply studied subject, special attention must be given to the possible unforeseen intraoperative findings, a field with very limited literature. Material and Methods: In a retrospective study, we gathered all the unusual hernia sac contents encountered, from a total of 1,829 hernia operations that were performed in our institution, during a 14-year period. Results: In our series, uncommon findings were found in 1.2% of the cases, consisting mainly of the vermiform appendix and the urinary bladder, whose prevalence is 0.53% and 0.50%, respectively. Conclusions: This percentage, although relatively small, is important and must contribute to the surgeon’s awareness, in order to assess the surgical field, minimise complications and perform the proper operation according to the findings.