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Abdominal muscle issue
I’ve mentioned before that I was having some issues on my right side recently – not pain or soreness but more tightness and pressure I guess. I am trying to determine if it’s mostly in my head, or perhaps I am carrying myself in a different way so as to create an imbalance, or if the muscle/fascia isn’t healing right. I have been to my original surgeon along with a couple other doctors, all who have said everything appears ok. My PCP did recently refer me to a gastro doc and even scheduled a CT Scan, because in addition to some longer standing nausea issues the predated the hernia surgery, I also noticed a slight bulge on my right side around there area where the instruments went during surgery. But that area is very soft and goes up and down when I breathe to the point where it just looks like normal stomach/intestinal contents – just that it’s larger than the other side. Docs seemed to think I’m just a little lopsided, though I never noticed before.
I guess I am just wondering after 10 months if the musculature is simply still remodeling itself and maybe I am just more sensitive to it. I started worrying about adhesions and other issues. I canceled the gastro appt along with the CT Scan because I figured it probably won’t show anything, and I don’t want all that radiation or the expense.
Are there any problems that could result from the muscles or fascia not healing neatly over time? That’s something I haven’t really seen discussed here very much. And would a ct scan in fact be able to detect any issues? [USER=”935″]drtowfigh[/USER]
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4 Replies
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The area I’m having an issue with now actually isn’t the area where the mesh is. It’s more the right side of my mid-torso. Kind of right around the area the instruments were inserted. Though I do still have some soreness around the hernia area. My latest thought was adhesions or something.
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The mesh forms a stiffer material after your body’s tissue grows in to it. Stiffer and less elastic than body tissue, and stiffer than the original mesh. It won’t flex or stretch like original body tissue, or like the mesh before it was implanted. It forms what would be called a fiber reinforced composite in the materials science world, of stiff polymer fiber in a collagen matrix. Composites tend to take on the elastic properties of the fiber material. Something to think about that might explain what you’re feeling. It will never remodel itself back to normal mechanical properties of unreinforced body tissue. The loops and knots of the mesh are no longer free to move like they were outside the body, they’re full of collagen.
I’ve mentioned this in other posts but the body will continue to try to get back to what’s “right”, for years, probably until death actually. I’ve experienced this with a broken collarbone, and injured leg, and a finger tip that was cut off and reattached. The initial healing is quick but the process continues for much longer. It’s pretty amazing to think about. Good luck.
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Indirect. IBS symptoms before surgery but honestly don’t know if the bulge was there. The tightness and pressure I mention wasn’t.
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Was original hernia indirect, direct, femoral, or combination? Original symptoms before surgery?
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