Reply To: Soliciting advice, and maybe input from Dr. Towfigh

[ajm222]

Thanks again, Dr. Towfigh. That all makes sense. And I know I have an issue based on the physical symptoms, so I wasn’t really putting any stock in the reading of the CT scan to begin with. And Dr. B did admit that there’s certainly a chance of hernia even if it wasn’t evident on the scan. He just wasn’t able to see it when I saw him in person on two separate occasions (maybe because of the long car ride and all the sitting) or detect it when he examined me while I coughed. The only thing he could detect was the lipoma, which I don’t think is causing the bulge. So it’s just sort of a weird situation where there’s a visible bulge some of the time that I would say is roughly ping ping ball sized, but at other times it’s not very prominent.

I asked his nurse if he would convert to the Shouldice if he got into the area and noticed it was worse than anticipated, and she said he definitely would. I will be sure to have the conversation with him on the day of surgery and let him know that I would like him to do so if the situation warrants, and I might also ask about the tightness of a Marcy-type repair and if that risks a future failure.

Dr. B for his part has said he hasn’t yet known anyone with an indirect hernia who had mesh removal done by him that recurred, for whatever that’s worth.