“Slow healer”

[ajm222]

quote DrBrown:

[USER=”2051″]ajm222[/USER]
Dear AJM
Dr. Belyansky is an excellent surgeon. Since he has evaluated you and has advised an operation he must believe that he can make you better.
If I were you I would lean toward having the operation. This is the time of year for miracles.
Merry Christmas.
Bill Brown MD

thank you! same to you!

[DrBrown]

[USER=”2051″]ajm222[/USER]
Dear AJM
Dr. Belyansky is an excellent surgeon. Since he has evaluated you and has advised an operation he must believe that he can make you better.
If I were you I would lean toward having the operation. This is the time of year for miracles.
Merry Christmas.
Bill Brown MD

[ajm222]

quote DrBrown:

[USER=”2051″]ajm222[/USER]
Dear AJM
Removal of the mesh is a major operation. Not everyone is better after surgery.
If you live in S California, I would advise you to see Dr. Twofigh to fully understand your options.
Regards.
Bill Brown MD

Thanks again, Dr. Brown. I actually live about 2 1/2 hours from Dr. Belyansky and he’s already seen me twice and approved a removal surgery (robotic lap, which is the same way the mesh was originally placed), which I tentatively scheduled for late February, because of foreign body sensation. But just can’t decide if I will do it. No significant pain at this time (aside from occasional mild soreness, but clearly some tightness and pulling in my lower abdomen, hip area and testicle and just feeling off on my right side ever since a couple of months after surgery (to the point I had ultrasound, CT Scan and several doc appointments).

And the mild to moderate soreness lasted regularly for a year and a half. Just not sure I want this to be the best it can get for the remainder of my days, when everyone says it probably won’t get any better at this point. But also not thrilled with the idea of a few more holes in my abdomen and weeks and months of more recovery with a small risk of serious complications. But I’ve been uncomfortable for so long at this point, the recovery doesn’t concern me quite as much as some of the other aspects of another major abdominal surgery. Will give it another month or two and continue to mull this over.

[DrBrown]

[USER=”2051″]ajm222[/USER]
Dear AJM
Removal of the mesh is a major operation. Not everyone is better after surgery.
If you live in S California, I would advise you to see Dr. Twofigh to fully understand your options.
Regards.
Bill Brown MD

[dh305]

[USER=”2051″]ajm222[/USER] it’s about perspective I guess. If it were me, and I was having a little pain like you are at this point, I most likely would not do it. Looks like a very involved procedure from what I see on this form. If I am feeling the way I currently do two years out, the mesh is definitely coming out.

[ajm222]

quote drtowfigh:

It may just be a tight repair since the scar tissue and the mesh itself shrank a bit. I recommend time. If it’s very very uncomfortable, then mesh redo. I have been using the hybrid Ovitex mesh in these cases where the mesh inflammation and stiffness is an issue.

ever do a redo or removal for someone who isn’t in pain per se but just a bit uncomfortable because of a constant feeling of tightness and pulling and/or foreign body sensation? considering removal because of almost 2 years of mild to moderate pain and tightness, but now that the pain has mostly subsided in the last couple of months i’m really torn. don’t love the idea of this unnatural feeling for the remainder of my days (i’m in my early 40’s), and worried about how long the pain initially lasted, but also know that removal is a big deal.

[dh305]

[USER=”935″]drtowfigh[/USER] that’s a great way of describing it-Tightness
other than time, are there any recommendations to achieve a looser feeling? This also probably explains why my mid-section feels a bit sore with increased activity. Thank you very much for your thoughts.

[drtowfigh]

It may just be a tight repair since the scar tissue and the mesh itself shrank a bit. I recommend time. If it’s very very uncomfortable, then mesh redo. I have been using the hybrid Ovitex mesh in these cases where the mesh inflammation and stiffness is an issue.

[dh305]

[USER=”935″]drtowfigh[/USER] Thank you. Yes, laparoscopic repair both sides (right was direct and left was indirect hernia) with 3 x 6 mesh each side and TAPP method and umbilical repair (no mesh).

My problem remains the left and right inguinal areas get sore/stiff with a lot of activity. Rest gets it better. Am able to do more before those sides get sore and stiff, but still present.

also, my main issues always are more left side. On that side, I often can feel something deep down if I laugh, sit, etc. that almost feels like a muscle pull. Not painful, more uncomfortable, but also still present after 6 months.

[drtowfigh]

[USER=”2987″]dh305[/USER]
shall I assume this was a laparoscopic repair?
everyone reacts differently to surgery. Some really have minimal inflammatory response. Others form an intense inflammatory response which can prolong their healing symptoms.
If symptoms are mild (eg twinging) and not life altering, these have been shown to resolve within the first year. We don’t react to the minor symptoms much and mostly provide assurance. For symptoms a bit more intense, perhaps there is a fluid collection that requires aspiration or perhaps the mesh is slightly folded. Imaging can help with that.
but you’re right. There is no science when we say you’re a slow healer.

[Nacly]

I’m in a similar boat to yours. I’m at the 5 month mark, and my pain has been on a spectrum that moves back and forth. As of last week, I felt great after exercise, then I squatted too heavy, and had sharp groin pain for 5 days. Today, we’re back to hip soreness and dull aches in my groin. I think it really is just dependent on the person, as my coworker who had the surgery around the same time as me is almost pain free now.

[dh305]

Thanks. Yes, I enjoy the gym about 4 days a week. Didn’t do anything for about three months after the surgery. This was psychologically not good for for me. When my doctor cleared me, first I started with physical therapy just to see what I could and could not do under careful supervision. Slowly I have been acclimating myself back into the gym. Doing weights, but on the machines and nothing crazy. Like 35 pounds on each exercise. As for cardio, just doing brisk walking at a very slight incline for about 20 minutes or stationary bike with a little resistance for about 20 minutes.
The weird thing is during my exercise routine, I usually feel no pain and feel pretty good. It is only Afterwords for the rest of the day if I have to be on my feet and active is when the groin starts to feel somewhat fatigued and a little sore in those upper areas. Rest and a good nights sleep makes it feel fine the next day, and then the process begins again. That is where I am at this point in my recovery.

[Jnomesh]

I would just like to add another insight.
it seems from your posts that you are someone who is active and works out a lot.
it is possible for some people for whatever the reasons and there can be quite a few that some people who work out may have different experiences with mesh implantation then sedentary people.
i was someone who worked out with weights before my surgery and after my mesh surgery and I can tell you after a workout is when I felt the worst and the mesh area would be extremely bothersome for a few days before it felt better. My mesh was found to be balled up and all over structures it shouldn’t be when it was eventually removed . I truly believe that the not only did the mesh fail but my activity levels might of made it to Become more and more defunct.
so a possible experiment for you to try is to lay of working out-whatever it is you do- for a period maybe a month and note how you feel. If you don’t experience the same kind of pain as you currently do then that can be a indicator.
It may mean you have to modify your exercise routine and experiment.
I over time found exercises that bothered me and others that didn’t as some exercises put more pressure on the surgical are and the mesh
.
The current trend amongst surgeons seems to be after surgery you will be good as new and can go whatever your want-this may not be true for everyone.

[dh305]

[USER=”2051″]ajm222[/USER] [USER=”2029″]Good intentions[/USER] thanks very much for your thoughts on the subject. I saw for the first time this weekend being exactly 6 months in that I was able to get through a workout and do some errands and entertain some guests at my home afterwards and I did not feel as sore as it used to doing continued activities such as this. I will take that as progress. Based on your experience of two years, I guess at the six month point it is still too premature to explore mesh removal since this seems to be a pretty complex procedure.

Reading a lot of the posts on this forum, luckily, I do not have debilitating type pain that many members on this board have due to the mesh. I am somewhat of a “Tweener“ when it comes to discomfort.

Thanks for the encouragement

[ajm222]

i don’t have a good answer for you, but only recently did most of the pain i was experiencing resolve. i am now approaching two years since my surgery and stopped having moderate pain and soreness just in the last month or two. any lingering pain is very mild if at all. my main issues now are the foreign body sensations and tightness and pressure and just overall feeling like the right side of my body is off compared to the left. maybe some slight pulling as well. and that hasn’t changed since a few months after surgery. so i am still trying to decide whether to have dr. belyansky remove the mesh. but i do think it’s possible for pain to go away long after surgery. sometimes there are psychological issues that may be involved making the pain persist (i say this because in my own case the pain oddly got better after i realized i had an option to remove the mesh – i have a theory about this and it relates to something commonly called Tension Myositis Syndrome, or Mindbody Syndrome). or as Good Intentions stated there may be physical reasons. or some combination of both.

[Good intentions]

[USER=”2987″]dh305[/USER] When I had the mesh inside me removed Dr. Billing found that it was surrounded by edema. Body fluids that result from damage or inflammation. This was at three years after implantation. In other words, the area around the mesh never really completely “healed”, It was in a suspended state of constant attempts at healing.

I also found that after certain types of physical activity I would get signs of blood or bruising at the entry point in my navel for the laparoscopic tools. I had mesh implanted from side to side and overlapping in the center, the linea alba. It seemed like there was a channel along the linea alba up to my navel that was collecting fluid.

My main point is that I wasn’t a “slow healer” but instead I was a “never healer”.

I still recommend seeing a surgeon who has years of experience in treating mesh problems. Dr. Belyansky seems to be a believer in mesh problems, along with Dr. Billing, and, of course, Dr. Brown. Dr. Kang also, in Korea. They have seen the effects and accepted, psychologically, that the problems are real, and treatable. I think that many surgeons just can’t let themselves believe that what they are doing, with mesh implantation, is wrong. It’s not why they became doctors yet they have been trained to do it, and have no recourse to better methods, without separating from the safety of the crowd of hernia “repair” surgeons.

Here is a link to your Topic describing the details of your procedure, for reference. Good luck. Be persistent.

https://www.herniatalk.com/14198-5-months-in-post-op

[dh305]

[USER=”2580″]DrBrown[/USER] Thanks. When I’m active, there is discomfort towards the top left and right sides of my groin and also my stomach near belly button area still gets a little sore. If I apply some pressure on those points, I definitely can feel some soreness and tenderness. Not terrible pain, but not comfortable and feels a little weak as well.

I can do treadmill, etc, but if I have to do an errand right after I can feel some soreness when walking.

I see some progress, but just don’t understand how some people can “heal” in a couple of weeks, and some, like me, are 6 months in and still feel off.

just not sure if my surgeon is stringing this along, or there is actually some empirical evidence that shows that there is a chance of a good recovery after this long

I find it strange that he will not order MRI or ultrasound to help figure it out. he seems very confident that it will get better and deems the imaging unnecessary and says the images won’t help him or show anything.

[DrBrown]

[USER=”2987″]dh305[/USER]
Dear Slow.
What problems are you having?
Regards.
Bill Brown MD