Massive Gastrointestinal Bleeding Secondary to Ileal Invasion by Ventral Hernioplasty Mesh

Surgical mesh migration is a very rare cause of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. We report a 56-year-old woman who presented with massive GI bleeding 10 years after ventral hernioplasty with mesh. Esophagoduodenoscopy and colonoscopy were normal. Computed tomographic angiography of the abdomen showed no active GI bleeding or bowel perforation. Tagged red blood cell scan suggested active bleeding in the proximal ileum. Exploratory laparotomy showed the ventral hernia mesh eroding into the ileum. This case emphasizes the limitations of radiologic imaging in evaluating GI bleeding and the recognition of ventral mesh migration and invasion as a potential etiology of small-bowel bleeding.