Laparoendoscopic single-site (LESS) repair of lumbar hernia: initial case report

Less than 300 repairs of lumbar hernias have been reported (1). The condition may derive from a congenital or acquired defect in the posterior-lateral abdominal wall (2). Primary lumbar hernia is a congenital defect, which typically arises in two areas of weakness: the superior (Grynfelt's) triangle and the inferior (Petit's) triangle. Acquired lumbar hernias are usually caused by previous lumbar trauma or surgery (3). Lumbar hernias are usually corrected by open surgery performed with large incisions and consequent morbidity. Laparoscopic techniques typically used for inguinal hernioplasty have been applied successfully for repair of lumbar hernias and have become the standard of care in some centers (4-10). Recently, the feasibility of laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (LESS) has developed to the point that it can be considered equivalent to conventional laparoscopic surgery for several indications (11). Few reports have been published on the use of LESS in the context of treatment of incisional or inguinal hernias (12). The aim of this study is to report one case of lumbar hernia repaired by laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (LESS).