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Alternatives to mesh
John,
You should do more research to prevent the limitations in your thinking. There are two other surgeons who perform the Desarda, one in southern CA (Burns), one in NM (Parvez). You have Dr. Myers in Philly who does the NFL players who can do it without mesh and is one of the best, hence, why the NFL uses him (he is expensive). And, you have Dr. Grischkan in Ohio who developed the Modified Shouldice and is probably the most experienced surgeon alive for hernias today (look at his numbers). He uses a Gortex, yet, he says he can do it without. Call there offices and ask questions. You should be in proximity to one of these, and how much is your health worth?
Most of your surgeons, especially in the U.S., will use mesh because they are convinced it reduces recovery time, and convinced it lessens re-occurrence. And, the training for these other techniques is limited if any. The first may be true, especially for athletes, however, the second on re-occurrence is debatable. When you place a foreign body in your tissue (mesh), no one can tell you how your physiology will respond, nor in what time duration it may occur, or if it will be cumulative with other heavy metals and chemicals you expose yourself. Everyone has a unique genome and biochemistry. To get a surgery without any foreign body left to infiltrate your tissue is with the Desarda, and the technique in Italy (Guarnieri) I think is using your own tissue as well because it focuses on your physiology. The Shouldice in Canada has the numbers and many surgeons from the U.S. travel to Canada to have their own surgery. I had one surgeon to tell me this is where they would go personally, and the hospital told me many have done the same.
Many say they know someone with a bi-lateral mesh repair and is doing fine. But, what is fine, how do you know the short or long term effects internally? I’m sure many will trust the mainstream even though they can get a tissue repair. From my observation and conversations with a manifold of people, mesh has affected people in major indices and in minor ones though few surgeons will support this statement.