Triangle Of Doom

 

                                                                Triangle Of Doom

The "triangle of doom" is a name given to a roughly triangular area in the posterior aspect of the anterior wall of the lower abdominopelvic region. It is used by surgeons repairing an inguinofemoral hernia with a mesh and they want to avoid large vascular structures, namely the external iliac artery and vein. The "triangle of doom"

The so-called "triangle of doom" is a misnomer perpetuated by the first laparoscopic surgeons who observed the anatomy of the inguinofemoral region from the posterior aspect. It is neither a triangle (as it only has two boundaries), nor is it an eponym (no such person existed - that is why uppercase should not be used). It does indicate an area where it is extremely dangerous to place staples or sutures during laparoscopic hernia surgery.

The "triangle of doom" is an inverted "V" shaped area with its apex at the internal (deep) inguinal ring. The "triangle of doom" is bound laterally by the gonadal vessels, and medially by the vas deferens in the male, or the round ligament of the uterus in the female. Within the boundaries of this area you can find the external iliac artery and vein.

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