Obturator hernia is an unusual state and rarely recurs. In this paper recent experience with a case of recurrent obturator hernia which occurred twice is described with a review of the Japanese literature.
A 69-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital because of vomiting and abdominal pain in June 1991. There was a previous history of undergoing operation for obturator hernia at elsewhere in 1988. In December 1990 severe pain in the left medial thigh began to occur. After admission to the hospital the patient was diagnosed as intestinal obstruction and was operated on. Abdominal laparotomy demonstrated an incarceration of the ileum in a left obturator hernia. Reduction was accomplished and the obturator foramen was closed with peritoneum. Two months later she was admitted because of the same thigh pain. Laparotomy demonstrated recurrent obturator hernia which might be caused by the looseness of peritoneal suture. In Japan the closure of obturator foramen with peritoneum is generally employed. A review of the literature, however, revealed that such procedure sometimes failed to prevent the recurrence. The procedure was not curable in this case. Direct suture with periosteum of pubic bone and obturator membrane would be a more desirable operative procedure.