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Weight gain and hernia mesh
An experience I had this evening made me wonder about something. Incidentally, I’m about 5 1/2 weeks post op from an indirect inguinal hernia repaired with mesh laparoscopically (using robot).
Anyway, I also have a recent history of some mild IBS. I’ve ultimately pinpointed that diet soda seems to be a problem for me in that regard. If I have more than one per day, I occasionally get really bad cramps and bloating. Well, today I had more than one and the bloating became really uncomfortable. It didn’t help that I had tight cloathing on that didn’t really stretch.
After a while I also noticed that the inguinal area seemed to be getting really sore, more than it had since the first week or so after the operation. It has subsided already, at the same time as the bloating itself, but for a couple of hours I was super uncomfortable. It made me wonder if it was the bloating and my insides pressing against the mesh. Which then made me wonder if significant weight gain later on in life could potentially cause problems with the mesh due to stretching and pressure, especially if the mesh tends to shrink over time.
About two years prior to the surgery I had lost about 50-55 pounds (my reward apparently being an eventual hernia). I had been overweight for about 18 years at that point, starting a year or two after college. So there’s always a chance I could gain the weight back, and I’m concerned that weight gain could be problematic when it comes to the mesh.
I don’t recall reading anything about this before, except for maybe one random story where someone suggested when they gain some weight they start getting some discomfort.
Just wondering if anyone had any thoughts or come across anything relating to this. Just curious.
Thanks
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5 Replies
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Thanks. I guess it’s a good excuse/motivation to stay on the thinner side. Just surprised I hadn’t read more about this.
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quote ajm222:An experience I had this evening made me wonder about something. Incidentally, I’m about 5 1/2 weeks post op from an indirect inguinal hernia repaired with mesh laparoscopically (using robot).
Anyway, I also have a recent history of some mild IBS. I’ve ultimately pinpointed that diet soda seems to be a problem for me in that regard. If I have more than one per day, I occasionally get really bad cramps and bloating. Well, today I had more than one and the bloating became really uncomfortable. It didn’t help that I had tight cloathing on that didn’t really stretch.
After a while I also noticed that the inguinal area seemed to be getting really sore, more than it had since the first week or so after the operation. It has subsided already, at the same time as the bloating itself, but for a couple of hours I was super uncomfortable. It made me wonder if it was the bloating and my insides pressing against the mesh. Which then made me wonder if significant weight gain later on in life could potentially cause problems with the mesh due to stretching and pressure, especially if the mesh tends to shrink over time.
About two years prior to the surgery I had lost about 50-55 pounds (my reward apparently being an eventual hernia). I had been overweight for about 18 years at that point, starting a year or two after college. So there’s always a chance I could gain the weight back, and I’m concerned that weight gain could be problematic when it comes to the mesh.
I don’t recall reading anything about this before, except for maybe one random story where someone suggested when they gain some weight they start getting some discomfort.
Just wondering if anyone had any thoughts or come across anything relating to this. Just curious.
Thanks
Given your comment about diet soda causing you discomfort, you may want to consider an elimination diet, or avoiding certain types of non-sugar sweeteners as there is some evidence that certain artificial sweeteners can cause GI distress for some people.
Congrats on your weight loss and keep it up, your body will thank you. I do know that Shouldice clinic has strict BMI requirements and will not perform surgery on the overweight, and they strongly recommend avoiding weight gain after a repair, presumably that same logic applies to all hernia repair types.
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Thanks, guys.
I had a right side indirect hernia repaired with 10cm x 15cm Parietex ProGrip mesh (placed at least 4cm proximal to the base of the hernia defect), done laparoscopically using a robotic system. Don’t know for sure which technique was used but I had two incisions (one on each side of the abdomen) along with one slightly above the navel. They gave me a very detailed write-up (all the notes from the surgeon made during the procedure). The direct spaces on either side apparently looked fine, and no indirect hernia was observed on the left side (despite the fact that another surgeon I consulted felt strongly that I had bilateral hernias). They also found a fatty lipomatous cord lipoma on the right at the same time. They dealt with that as well.
Regarding the “8x more strong” comment, it was always my understanding that a hernia repaired with mesh will never be quite as strong as the original anatomy (pre-hernia). But maybe I misunderstood.
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Before surgery with Dr. Goodyear with mesh I had limited food intake and whenever I ate a big meal it gave me trouble with pain and such things. Also foods like cheese etc caused some indigestion and while on Toilet seat I had to hold my hand on hernia when I pushed.
All that disappeared after surgery and I started eating fine. That made me realize I was gaining weight. I gained 5 lb but now I am around 140 and do eat normal but do also worry about weight. One thing I know is this. If you do not maintain healthy lifestyle – and assume that surgery can make you superman who can lift mountains – no, it does not. Rather you will develop hernia on the opposite side if you had surgery on one side because the repaired side is 8x stronger than the tissue. If both sides are repaired then hearnia will happen elsewhere. Why? because in the first case the tissue was genetically weak and caused that hernia. Doctor did not fix your genes but added mesh to make your life better. So keep this always in mind. Maintain a healthy lifestyle eat well but maintain the weight or lose a bit.
And finally, nobody has died of hunger by eating a bit less but by eating more many have died of heart attacks, strokes and other reasons. I sometimes wonder (while shopping) if I am buying the food to sustain or buying my own tools that dig my grave. 🙂
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Welcome back ajm. I don’t think that you ever said what type of surgery you ended up getting. Type of mesh, quantity, placement. Could you share that?
Since the lower abdomen and abdominal wall are essentially like a bowl that your intestines sit in, weight gain seems like it would add pressure. So it seems sensible that it would cause more discomfort.
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