September 09, 2010
Medical Question
Anybody out there ever have a hernia repaired? Someone I know has a bad one, and is going to have a surgery scheduled soon. I'd like to know more about the procedure, but not the usual wiki stuff...
Thanks in advance!
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Thanks in advance!
Posted by: Wonderduck at
11:21 PM
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I had an inguinal hernia repaired when I was 12 years old. Back then they didn't use endoscopic surgery, but the incision was pretty small nonetheless (I'd say just 4-5 inches, don't know exactly cause I'm metrical) and the cut was done in one of the natural wrinkles that form between the abdomen and the pubic area (the scar is almost invisble, and that's considering I have no gut). It was an ambulatory surgery, and I was sent to my house that same day (although I had to stay in bed for 3 days and out of school for a week).
It's a pretty simple procedure if the portion of the small intestine that's protruded into the pelvic cavity has suffered no traumatic damage. They just open up, put the small intestine back in its place and stitch the hole in the inguinal cavity that caused the hernia in the first place.
Mine was detected and repaired before there was any severe symptoms visible (just a little bulge, but no darkening or pain) but I understand that even in severe cases, the risk is low and the procedure is simple.
It's a pretty simple procedure if the portion of the small intestine that's protruded into the pelvic cavity has suffered no traumatic damage. They just open up, put the small intestine back in its place and stitch the hole in the inguinal cavity that caused the hernia in the first place.
Mine was detected and repaired before there was any severe symptoms visible (just a little bulge, but no darkening or pain) but I understand that even in severe cases, the risk is low and the procedure is simple.
Posted by: Mauro at September 10, 2010 08:11 AM (k6tMR)
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I've had a couple of hernia repair jobs, one on each side. The first one was essentially as Mauro described his, except that the surgeon also placed some mesh in the area for further reinforcement. The second was done laparoscopically; the primary incision was in my navel with a secondary one a couple of inches away along the waist. In both cases, the hospital staff caused me more trauma than the surgery. I was home the day after both times and spent the next few days in bed. I did have to return to work four days after the second procedure, but I wasn't happy about it. It was about two weeks both times before the doctors said I could lift more than 20 pounds, and before I (very carefully) got on my bicycle again. I had a fair amount of mild to moderate pain in the groin after the laparoscopy, about which the surgeon didn't have much to say. It gradually faded over the course of a year.
Posted by: Don at September 10, 2010 04:52 PM (FYZAw)
3
I've had an inguinal hernia repaired with mesh, which is far superior to the old-fashioned way. I've also had a belly-button hernia repaired without mesh, and it had to be re-repaired four years later. The (different) doc used mesh the second time, and also did it laparoscopically. You heal up a LOT faster that way (the first two surgeries I had were open.)
One thing to watch out for, which your friend's doctor will not tell him: you may experience numbness in the area the mesh was placed, due to the trauma of the surgery--where I had the inguinal surgery, I had a patch of skin maybe a couple of square inches where the sensory nerves were cut, and couldn't feel anything there except pressure. It took a couple of years for the nerves to completely regrow. By contrast, the laparoscopic surgery had a smaller numb area, and that healed a lot faster.
Posted by: RickC at September 11, 2010 09:15 AM (lbzph)
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