[Left hepatic vein injury during laparoscopic fundoplication for giant paraoesophageal hiatal hernia].

INTRODUCTION: After laparoscopic cholecystectomy, laparoscopic fundoplication has become another gold standard of minimal invasive surgery. The level of satisfaction of patients undergoing endoscopic surgery is almost 90%. Laparoscopic fundoplication, like other surgery methods, can also be burdened with grave complications, which could result in a fatal outcome even if the surgery is performed by a skilled surgeon. Even the authors themselves encounter complications despite their rich experience (more than 3,500 laparoscopic operations in the diaphragmatic hiatus area in more than 20 years).

CASE REPORT: The authors report on a rare left hepatic vein injury during laparoscopic hiatoplasty and fundoplication according to Toupet for giant paraoesophageal hiatal hernia.

CONCLUSION: For its low percentage of complications, laparoscopic fundoplication is considered as a safe operative method for gastroesophageal reflux disease and hiatal hernias. However, severe complications may still arise during the surgery and the surgeon should be familiar with them, be prepared for them and be able to manage such complications.Key words: gastroesophageal reflux disease hiatal hernia laparoscopic fundoplication left hepatic vein.