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Not sure what to do – surgery or not
Thanks for your response and thoughts, MikeL. Appreciated!
I would definitely like to have my hernia repaired. Though it’s only mildly symptomatic at the moment, it’s a worry and almost always on my mind. As I mentioned I have a date for surgery in about a month. However I’m really undecided and nervous about hernia surgery given what I understand is the rate (up to 30%, if some of the accounts are accurate) of chronic pain after surgery. I think I could accept say, a 5 or 10 percent occurrence or chronic pain, but 30 percent?
I’ve enjoyed running, but am quite prepared to say goodbye to it if necessary, or if it would be too risky. It’s not a priority. Overall quality of life is, I think, more important.
Perhaps, as you say, those who’ve had pain issues are greatly overrepresented on forums. Still, the stories and some of the statistics I read … I don’t know if I’m overblowing this fear, but quite frankly, it’s the real issue I’m wrestling with as I consider whether or not to proceed with the surgery.
Concerning the type of surgery if I were to proceed, my preference if it’s possible, would be for a non-mesh approach. It was my understanding that a non-mesh (pure tissue) approach generally led to fewer post surgery complications. But I admit to being unclear about this. It just seems to me that regardless of the approach, there is real potential in any inguinal hernia surgery for nerve damage or entrapment.
I do understand that a pure tissue approach means more pain initially, as well as longer recovery (and slightly higher recurrence rate). I’d be prepared to accept that. But what I’m really not clear about is whether there is any evidence (statistically or anecdotally ) or support for a non-mesh approach generally resulting in less chronic pain.
I’m guessing I’m not alone in wrestling with this question of whether to have the surgery or to wait. I think I will schedule another consultation with the surgeon to ask some more questions, and hopefully that will help.
Thank you again for the reply, and if anyone has any other thoughts or perspectives on this, these would certainly be appreciated!
Norton