We present the case of a 76-year-old woman who experienced severe abdominal pain and vomiting 14 days after undergoing anterior lumbar interbody fusion. CT revealed a mechanical small bowel obstruction with a transition point in the proximal ileum. During surgery, an incarcerated bowel loop was discovered, having herniated into the preperitoneal space. The obstruction was corrected surgically. This article discusses the perioperative findings, reviews the existing literature, and examines surgical correction techniques. We emphasize the importance of meticulous peritoneal closure and the need for vigilance against intra-abdominal complications in retroperitoneal surgical procedures.
Keywords: abdominal hernia repair; anterior lumbar inter-body fusion; bowel incarceration; preperitoneal hernia; small bowel herniation; small-bowel obstruction.
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