-
Just to give some perspective for you:
Many patients who underwent a plug type inguinal hernia repair have a palpable area of firmness, which is the mesh plug. That does not necessarily mean the mesh is causing the pain. In many patients, it is the mesh. In others, it may be something else.
If the mass is as small as the head of a pencil’s eraser, then likely that is not the plug itself. That said, the pain may still be from the plug, if you’ve had it since the operation.
My recommendation is to make sure you see at least two specialists. Mesh removal is not something you want to have done without doing your homework. You want to pick a surgeon who has the expertise to handle whatever is found during surgery. If it’s a suture, then perhaps removal may be able to address the problem. If it is the plug itself or a recurrence, then the surgeon you choose for the procedure should have the expertise to handle that situation as well.
I call these my box of chocolates. You often never know what you’re going to get once you’re in there. So as much data gathering as you can get before surgery is helpful.