-
Nerve pain from open non mesh inguinal hernia repair affecting my quality of life
I’m am a 24 year male who had a non mesh inguinal hernia repair at 18 years old. I have had nerve pain in my groin ever since. My nerves somehow got trapted in scar tissue or got damaged. I’m trying to get a clear image of the area to know what exactly is wrong. If my guess is correct I would probably want to opt for a neurectomy. Does anyone have a similar story with some advice.
-
5 Replies
-
Nerve pain after non-mesh hernia repair remains a problem. It is a bit easier to address than if mesh were involved.
My concern is that you have had pain for 6+ years. The results with nerve pain are not as good the longer you wait.
You still have a lot of options. Nerve block is first step. The timing, quality, frequency, and location of the pain will determine what may be causing it (e.g., suture entrapment vs scar tissue vs recurrence) and thus what the best treatment plan may be for you.
-
Can you be more specific about the symptoms you are experiencing? What and where is the pain? Is it at the incision or elsewhere? Did you have the pain immediately after the surgery, or did the pain onset occur later? Was the original hernia painful before you had it repaired? Have you been checked for a hernia recurrence? Does anything help the pain, or make it worse?
You may want to visit a pain management clinic if you have not done so already, as there are less invasive things to try. For example, nerve block injections, radiofrequency nerve ablation, extended NSAID courses, various medications, etc. Some people also have success with physical therapy, myofascial release, etc
Best of luck. Keep us up to date on your case and progress.
-
Sorry about that. I see bad mesh everywhere now. Most of what I said still applies though, I think. Here’s an edited version. I removed two “mesh”es. Interesting that he had a non-mesh repair six years ago, when even open with mesh was about equal with laparoscopic with mesh. Now it’s mostly laparoscopic with mesh.
“Pain after hernia surgery is not uncommon. Six years is a long time to deal with it though. Post your general location and somebody here can guide you to a doctor who understands and accepts that some hernia repairs have problems. You’ll need to see a doctor with experience in dealing with the problems, not the common surgeon who will only deal with implanting the mesh. You’ll waste a lot of time and money unless you just get lucky and find the right doctor.
And don’t assume that you need a neurectomy. Cutting functional nerves is a specific procedure for specific types of pain. It’s not a general pain reduction technique.
Actually, at this point you probably shouldn’t try to diagnose your own problem. Your assumptions might be wrong and lead you down the wrong path. Best to find a doctor that will deal with hernia repair problems, and will choose the best procedure for you.”
-
I think OP said he didn’t have mesh implanted. It was a non-mesh repair, with suspected pain caused purely by scar tissue.
-
Pain after hernia surgery with mesh is not uncommon. Six years is a long time to deal with it though. Post your general location and somebody here can guide you to a doctor who understands and accepts that some hernia repairs have problems. You’ll need to see a doctor with experience in dealing with the problems, not the common surgeon who will only deal with implanting the mesh. You’ll waste a lot of time and money unless you just get lucky and find the right doctor.
And don’t assume that you need a neurectomy. Cutting functional nerves is a specific procedure for specific types of pain. It’s not a general pain reduction technique.
Actually, at this point you probably shouldn’t try to diagnose your own problem. Your assumptions might be wrong and lead you down the wrong path. Best to find a doctor that will deal with mesh problems, and will choose the best procedure for you.
Log in to reply.