Sudden death caused by acute pulmonary embolism after laparoscopic total extraperitoneal inguinal hernia repair: a case report and literature review.

Purpose: Laparoscopic repair of inguinal hernias is an increasingly popular method of herniorrhaphy, providing advantages, including lower wound infection rates, faster recovery times and less postoperative pain compared with open procedures. The perioperative incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE), which comprises deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, in laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair is low, but VTE is still one of the most common causes of postoperative mortality. Moreover, the VTE risk assessment and prophylaxis in inguinal hernia patients is not well defined.