To investigate clinical characteristics and management of internal hernia after laparoscopic gastrectomy.

The clinical data of 27 patients who underwent laparocopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer with Roux-en-Y reconstruction from Jan. 2010 to Jun. 2018 Northern Jiangsu Province Hospital, Clinical Medical College, Yangzhou University were retrospectively analyzed.

Among the 27 patients with internal hernia, 25 patients underwent laparoscopic total gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y reconstruction, and 2 patients underwent laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y reconstruction. The main manifestations are severe pain in upper abdomen with nausea and vomiting. The time of onset was 6 days to 5 years after surgery, and 15 cases occurred within 1 year (55.6%). Among them, 23 patients received surgical treatment and 6 died, 4 patients received conservative treatment and 1 died. The total mortality rate was 25.93%.

Internal hernia is a rare and serious complication that is difficult to diagnose. It is necessary to close mesenteric defects to prevent abdominal hernia, during laparoscopic radical gastrectomy for Roux-en-Y anastomosis. Clinically, early surgical treatment is essential when it is suspected.