Hernia Surgery Question

[F6Dave]

After procrastinating over two years I'm finally getting my hernia fixed next week.  I haven't had surgery since my tonsils were removed 60 years ago so this is new territory.  Back then ether was the anesthetic!

My question is how long is the recovery time.  The estimates I've been getting vary quite a bit.  And also, has anyone had long term discomfort from the mesh?

[Bighead]

Recovery varies from patient to patient. You can look at realistically 3 months before back to normal.

[Jess from VA]

Mine only took like 3 weeks.  But I was only 4.  My memory's a bit vague, but what I remember is it really hurt to laugh.

I bet it's worse at 66 though (me).  (For adults, rehab on anything is often a matter of your overall physical condition going in to treatment)  

Always lots and lots of reading on-line on every medical question under the sun.

I never had my tonsils out as a kid, and as an adult I'm never having them out as I hear it's a real bear.  But I've never had any chronic issue either.

Watch out for razor burn.  

And good luck.

[bscrive]

I had mine done 30 years ago and it took me about six to eight weeks to recover.  A buddy of mine had it done a couple of years ago and he was good after 4 weeks.  The new way they do it is much better than the way I had it done.  The only real issue I had was being able to feel my intestines moving around until the natural netting held them together.  If I rolled over in bed, I could feel my intestines moving.  It was a pretty ucky feeling.  Not painful, just ucky.

[Daniel Meyer]

Lathroscopic? and where? Both those make a difference.

Mine was above the navel and lathroscopic/mesh. I was back at work (but in a binder and with severe lifting restrictions) in 3 days. It was several months before I was cleared to lift with impunity...

No long term issues...

[F6Dave]

Lathroscopic? and where? Both those make a difference.

Mine was above the navel and lathroscopic/mesh. I was back at work (but in a binder and with severe lifting restrictions) in 3 days. It was several months before I was cleared to lift with impunity...

No long term issues...

Thanks for all the replies.  It will be laparoscopic with mesh to fix an inguinal/groin hernia, which apparently account for 80% of all hernias.  I've also had tiny umbilical one for decades he'll repair while he's there.

It sounds like techniques have improved because when I asked him about sneezing, coughing, or even lifting he said "it'll hold".  I still don't plan on dropping and picking up the motorcycle for a while!

[Valkorado]

My results  (colonoscopy and double inguinal laprascopic back to back same day -- trying to kill two birds and save cash) didn't go as well.  Long term problems with mesh left side, etc..  PM if u want to more details.

[Daniel Meyer]

Heh...turns out I'm also recovering from hernia surgery...
http://lifeisaroad.com/blog/2019/11/17/groan/

[TTG53#1717]

I had bi-lateral inguinal hernias repaired at 56. Ten years ago. They never bothered me prior and were picked up a couple years apart at company physicals.
My employer gave me 8 weeks of STD and I was actually able to go back in 7. I was an outside Operator in refinery units with a very physical job and did fine going right back into 3 straight weeks of 12 hr night shifts during a maintenance shutdown.

It turns out I had an outstanding surgeon and I’ve never had any problems with either side/mesh.

Since having my open heart procedure last year I’ve changed the way I cough and every once in a while I now get a twinge of pain where the left mesh is but that’s all.

Wish you the best.

[Patrick]

I had an inguinal hernia about 20 years ago. One doctor tried laparoscopic on it and couldn't finish it which he blamed on the hospital staff. I went to a different hospital and of course the original hospital refused to forward my records. Anyway, it was finally done under local mac, Doctor said he had quite a time to get by with one chunk of mesh. [ 2 incisions about 4" long]. But, I went in a 7AM and walked out at 11AM, went home and raked leaves. [ One member here years ago called me a liar]. I could feel the mesh and get a twinge once in awhile for a couple years. But no problems since. What pain was there before was far greater than any after.  Now I see TV commercials about defective mesh cases.

[semo97]

I had mine in June this year. It was a double hernia. One low left side right above the hole in the pelvis the nut cord runs through, the other was right side bubble 2 inches over from center and up 1 inch. Went two months before surgery and kept working running chain saw downing trees and digging post holes and working out in the gym. I had laparoscopic. First 24 hours can be rough if they put a catheter  in, it will take time to pee and burn, it will just trickle but get stronger by next afternoon. If you can not pee in 6/8 hours or so call the doc they will need to do a catheter. Getting in and out of bed is a bitch. I figured out lay on your side on the edge of bed swing your legs to the floor and push yourself up to a sitting position with your arm. Do not use your abs. I sat in a big soft chair slouched down with my butt on the end of the chair with pillows behind my back, use your arms to push yourself up to stand. You will find sitting on the pot is fine but going down or up is a bitch. Have handy cap rails are good but someone pulling you up is better. Do not strain to go, eat lots of fiber three days before and several days after. I ate lots of oatmeal and corn. Walking up inclines is hard, stairs are not bad just take your time. Pick up your feet when you walk, tripping can be pain full if you go down or just catching yourself. Do not sit around after day two get to moving, walking a lot. Your scrotal sack and penis will turn black and blue and you will think it is all going to rot away. You will be fine just ugly  for awhile. Your wife will think there is a new man in the house. If they have to clean around the cord that runs to your testicle that will be sore for months and they put a numbing block on the side of your penis and that takes several days to wear off. I searched the web on dos and do nots and there isn't much. I am 68 yrs old and in very good condition no extra wt. one of those guys that has a hard time gaining wt. and eat like a horse. I have done lots of ab work so that helped me. I quit the pain pills after 12 hrs. I told the doc how do I know if I am moving wrong and tearing up something if I am pilled up. He said you will not tear up anything. In three days I was down in the barn figuring out my work outs. I started the wts. a lot lighter and lots of reps. The hardest was pushups and pull ups it took three weeks to start them. Ab work was 4 weeks but after that I was back to the regular work outs.  Now you know what to expect mine took 20 minutes prep time was hurry up and wait 6 hours. Day surgery. No mesh problem yet and I have abused my body more then  I should.

[Wizzard]

Had a lower one done 8 years ago and 3 days after the surgery went on vacation to CO for a week.
It was not laproscopic. Had mesh put in and now I am wondering if I have the bad mesh they are talking about? I have never had any complications.

[Gryphon Rider]

I had mesh put in about seven years ago and it healed as expected, but I can't remember details.  I am sometimes aware of its presence, but not in a painful or uncomfortable way.  The area feels slightly different than on the other side.

[Doug1952]

Dave:

I'm right behind you with my hernia repair surgery scheduled for Nov 25th.  My doc tells me I won't be able to drive for a week.   ugh.   

Good luck with your recovery,
Doug

[bg]

had mesh hernia repair in June.....after a week the dr released me with minimal restrictions......that being lifting very heavy things etc.........back to work....and no issues since. oh, i did have a little pulling discomfort but not in the hernia area when i tried to do my plank exercise but after a short time it went away.

[F6Dave]

I sincerely thank everyone for all the information and support.  Tomorrow's the day.  I look forward to getting back here on the board ASAP!

[Daniel Meyer]

I sincerely thank everyone for all the information and support.  Tomorrow's the day.  I look forward to getting back here on the board ASAP!

Good luck! Wear the binder religiously (if they require one for yours) until they say otherwise! Keep a pillow handy for coughs or sneezes...and try very hard not to cough or sneeze...

[Valkorado]

And make your wife move the firewood!  Hindsight.

[Bighead]

[quote author=Wizzard link=topic=108892.msg1090275#msg1090275 date=1574086235 Had mesh put in and now I am wondering if I have the bad mesh they are talking about? I have never had any complications.

[/quote]
That answer
Would be NO  capital NO. This is a
Huge problem. With lawyers and insurance companies if one out of 3 million fail it is a huge problem and manufacturing problem. They never seem to factor in the DR may suck and not know what he is doing. Just saying everything in this world has a recall but that dont mean everyone needs to sue for no reason. Just my $.02 and have worked in the medical field for 30+ yrs. but I guess an opinion is like a butt hole everyone has one and half the time they stink.

[F6Dave]

Made it through. Less than 5 hours from the time I walked in the door to walking out. Feel like I did 500 situps but otherwise very good. I'm sure the next few days won't be as easy as the pain meds wear off but so far so good.

[Gryphon Rider]

A hernia surgery has a way of letting one know exactly how much his stomach muscles are used. I couldn’t even put on my socks, at first.

[Bronson]

Choosing the right surgeon is very important. Surgical ability varies greatly between practitioners and can make a huge difference in you outcome and recovery time. If you can go the hospital or surgery center where the operation will be, see if some of the operating room nurses will offer recommendations on who they would choose. I have been an operating room nurse for over 30 years. The mesh is standard, the procedure is standard. You and the surgeon are the controllable variables. When faced with surgery as a treatment, I would seek out the doctors I know are top performers in the O.R., and who will take care of me as a person after the operation, not just hand off to a hospitalist to follow up.
That being said, hernia surgery is one of the most common operations done worldwide and the likelihood of a good outcome is high! Best of luck to you.
Wayne.

[F6Dave]

Choosing the right surgeon is very important. Surgical ability varies greatly between practitioners and can make a huge difference in you outcome and recovery time. If you can go the hospital or surgery center where the operation will be, see if some of the operating room nurses will offer recommendations on who they would choose. I have been an operating room nurse for over 30 years. The mesh is standard, the procedure is standard. You and the surgeon are the controllable variables. When faced with surgery as a treatment, I would seek out the doctors I know are top performers in the O.R., and who will take care of me as a person after the operation, not just hand off to a hospitalist to follow up.
That being said, hernia surgery is one of the most common operations done worldwide and the likelihood of a good outcome is high! Best of luck to you.
Wayne.

I agree completely.  One article I read that said while hernia repair may be the most common procedure in the world, it takes 600 procedures for a surgeon to master the laparoscopic technique.  Wow, what about those first 599?

Without knowing it, I followed your advice.  Not long after I first got the hernia I had a really bad sore throat on the weekend.  I didn't want to wait till Monday to see my doctor, so I went to one of those grocery store clinics.  The Nurse Practitioner I saw had been an O.R. nurse at the hospital I planned to use, so I mentioned the hernia and asked about the surgeons she'd worked with.  She named two as the only ones she'd ever use personally.  Luckily, one was the guy my own doctor recommended.  When I met with him before last week's surgery he said he'd performed over 1,000 of the procedures.  I felt pretty confident that I'd made a good choice.

[Jess from VA]

That's the cat did me.  


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHJsGNs3wdY

[Patrick]

Choosing the right surgeon is very important. Surgical ability varies greatly between practitioners and can make a huge difference in you outcome and recovery time. If you can go the hospital or surgery center where the operation will be, see if some of the operating room nurses will offer recommendations on who they would choose. I have been an operating room nurse for over 30 years. The mesh is standard, the procedure is standard. You and the surgeon are the controllable variables. When faced with surgery as a treatment, I would seek out the doctors I know are top performers in the O.R., and who will take care of me as a person after the operation, not just hand off to a hospitalist to follow up.
That being said, hernia surgery is one of the most common operations done worldwide and the likelihood of a good outcome is high! Best of luck to you.
Wayne.

I also agree. Who does it can make all the difference. A surgeon friend used to say, there are no minor surgeries only minor surgeons.

[DDT (12)]

Dave,

Glad things have gone well for you! As Bob Hope famously said one time, "Old age ain't for wimps!" Oh well, whatchagonnado?

DDT

[F6Dave]

Yesterday marked 4 weeks since my surgery.  Since the snow finally melted on my neighborhood roads, I figured it was time to take my first ride and do some Christmas shopping.  The symptoms are gone and it feels good to be back to normal.  About the only problem remaining is when I cough or sneeze, I reach down to make sure nothing popped out.  You can get strange looks from people when doing that.

[shortleg]

  After having 5 surgeries where I was opened from sternum  to belly button I
developed  a hernia  and let it go untill my intestines got caught  in the void
and that really caused quitte a bit of pain and sickness.
    Yes I was very lucky to have a good surgeon  to do the work to
 an area that had been destroyed  by previous  surgeries  because of chrones.
   Also keep working on those abs, never forget how much we use them.

[cookiedough]

mom now has a few hernias that are bulging out of her stomach in spots pretty evident and at her age and mental/physical condition age 77 the drs. do not want to operate unless burst or she is in pain, if she even tells anyone that is with altzheimers sort of bad?    I vaguely remember as a young kid she had a wire mesh put in her stomach and that was some 40 years ago so guess the wire mesh is not holding up so well 40 years later?    they did a few images of her stomach and the hernias as of now do not seem to be blocking her intestinal tract which we were afraid of doing no harm as of now so hope they stay that way.  Not so sure at her age and condition hernia surgery is a good option only as a last solution if bursts or causes blockage drs. all agree is a waiting game best approach as of now.

so glad your operation seemed like a success and hope the one surgery lasts you for life not having to go back under the knife, so to speak.

[scooperhsd]

Cookie - this maybe onetime to trust her doctors. A 2nd opinion might be called for, but I'm guessing the doc doesn't want to put her through (probably unnecessary) pain on recovery. If she is in pain  or having issues from her hernias - then I'd think about getting her the surgery.

Best of luck with this.

[cookiedough]

Cookie - this maybe onetime to trust her doctors. A 2nd opinion might be called for, but I'm guessing the doc doesn't want to put her through (probably unnecessary) pain on recovery. If she is in pain  or having issues from her hernias - then I'd think about getting her the surgery.

Best of luck with this.

agree,  the dr. assured me at that time now about 6 months ago when she had CDIFF and in hospital that the couple of hernias in her tummy are NOT blocking the intestines and unless in pain or complains is best as a wait and see approach, although is odd pushing in on them they pop in then out again all on their own, sort of weird.    It is not like she is very able to move around and injure herself unless falls down sitting in a wheelchair or hospital bed all day or on a sofa/chair in asst. living.

[_Sheffjs_]

Double hernia in 2007 was back at work in 10 days light duty - yes it hurt at times and even a couple of years later under heavy stress work it came back as a reminder but fast forward all is well. I want to mention I was fit at the time due to pounding Dirt bike riding.  I miss that two stroke fun!