SINGAPORE – Bus driver Lee Chiow Jin’s hernia went untreated for more than two years and developed into a potentially life-threatening situation.
In a hernia, part of an organ, such as the intestine, protrudes through the wall of a body cavity. Causes include congenital defects, obesity and previous operations.
The 48-year-old Singaporean PR man, who lives in Johor Bahru and travels to Singapore daily for work, had to rush to a hospital emergency room in February 2024 when the symptoms became unbearable.
“I had a pulling sensation in my abdomen and felt extremely bloated and uncomfortable. I have not been able to have a bowel movement for two days,” Mr Lee said in an interview with The Straits Times in Mandarin.
It turned out that Mr Lee – an extremely rare case – had not one but three hernias.
Two of them, so-called inguinal hernias, had developed in the groin area on the left and right side.
The other was an incisional hernia, where Mr Lee’s intestines became trapped in the weakened area of the scar from a previous colon surgery, causing pain and discomfort.
His intestine became blocked and inflamed and almost burst, causing a serious infection.
In March, Mr Lee underwent an eight-hour operation to repair all three hernias, using a new surgical technique by Dr Marc Ong, a consultant in the Department of General Surgery at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH).
This method, called eTEP (Enhanced View Totally Extraperitoneal Technique), involves closing the hernia defect and then inserting mesh into the layers between the muscles to reinforce the repair.
“It was the most difficult surgery I have ever performed,” said Dr. Ong, referring to the number and location of the hernias.
KTPH is one of two public hospitals with a dedicated hernia surgery department and Dr. Ong has performed nearly 20 surgeries using the new eTEP technique in Singapore since 2020.
National University Hospital is the other hospital that offers such a service.
“Mr Lee was lucky and did not need emergency surgery because his bowel somehow calmed down after he was admitted to the hospital,” said Dr Ong.
