What is an incarcerated hernia?

"Incarcerated hernia: a hernia that cannot be reduced.

Amyand's hernia is commonly misdiagnosed as an ordinary incarcerated hernia.

Irreducible abdominal hernias or incarcerated hernias may be painful, but their most relevant symptom is that they cannot return to the abdominal cavity when pushed in.

He has seen a patient with with an incarcerated hernia, in danger of having his intestines turn gangrenous, sent away from the emergency room by his H.M.O. because the hospital was not in its provider network.

Structural disorders, such as intraluminal and extraluminal bowel lesions caused by primary or metastatic tumor, postoperative adhesions, volvulus of the bowel, or incarcerated hernia, affect peristalsis and the maintenance of normal bowel function.

However improvements in radiologic imaging of small bowel obstructions allow for confident distinction between simple obstructions, that can be treated conservatively, and obstructions that are surgical emergencies (volvulus, closed-loop obstructions, ischemic bowel, incarcerated hernias, etc.).