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quote Chaunce1234:Personally, if I had a small hernia that was not bothering me at all, and that a surgeon told me was low risk and thus suitable for watchful waiting, then I would likely wait. But if your hernia is painful or bothering you, or if a surgeon says it is risky, then of course consider surgery.Aim to be comfortable with both your surgeon (or their expertise) and the procedure itself.
What symptoms do you currently experience? What procedure are you considering?
Where are you located? Perhaps someone can provide you with the name(s) of some regional hernia experts near you. It can be beneficial to get a second opinion.
Good luck, keep us updated on your decisions and progress.
I’m in Eastern Pennsylvania. 2 hours from NYC or Philadelphia. Considering regular open surgery. Only symptoms I have is a dull groin ache if I am on my feet all day long. Or if I go for a long hike, or something. Otherwise, I’d never even know I had it besides the small bulge. I have tried to look up photos online to see how my bulge compares to others. Somedays it’s barely there and almost flat. Other’s it might feel like it’s the size of an egg cut in half.
I am seeing the surgeon tomorrow, actually. As I mentioned, I had (have?) a scheduled surgery date for Nov. 30. But I called the office and explained I am putting that on hold for now. They understood and said “it’s your body, you have to make the right decision”. They advised me they will technically keep the date booked until after I talk to the surgeon (tomorrow). He is the chief of general surgery at a Geisigner satellite hospital.
One thing that intrigues me is that I only live about 90 minutes from the North Penn Hernia Institute and as somebody mentioned, Dr. Goodyear. When I first researched this months ago, I was turned off by that. A place that only did hernia surgeries almost sounded like a shady gimmick, and it was best done in a hospital setting. Although I am still researching, I now realize I was wrong, and perhaps a place that *only* does hernias is a better option. It’s one of my questions for the surgeon tomorrow, although I really don’t know how I’ll frame the question without insulting him.