Mesh plug repair for a small incisional hernia in a cirrhotic patient with ascites: report of a case.

We report herein the case of a patient with severe liver ascites due to cirrhosis in whom a small incisional hernia on a midline incision was successfully treated by a mesh plug repair, a method most commonly employed for groin hernia repair. The hernia sac was dissected and inverted into the abdominal cavity by the mesh plug under epidural anesthesia. The patient's recovery was quick and relatively painless, and there has been no recurrence after 1 year of followup. This case report demonstrates that the method of mesh plug repair may be appropriate for small incisional hernias as well as groin hernias, performed under epidural anesthesia.