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Advice
Dr. Towfigh I hope my case, treatment, outcome and care was very rare and patients coming to this forum get the information they need to get the best possible outcomes but what scares me is that my knowledge of two quote hernia specialty care centers might be more in name only than actual care that the patient receives. Things might have changed at one of the centers but I would still be very leery of the care they would provide. I know I asked of the right questions before my surgery and got all of the right answers but those answers were just given to obtain consent and had no basis in reality.
Where I had my original hernia surgery and original surgeon have parted ways. The hospital has since opened its hernia center but it seems to be more of marketing than actual specializing. After my surgery I found a study done at this hospital and it found they had over 25% post hernia pain at 1 year and than not one but two doctors in other areas in my treatment for post hernia pain stated they know the figure was closer to 30% even though I was told it was less than 8% before my surgery at this hospital. One Dr. stated that they were finally going to set up a committee late in 2012 to figure out what was causing this the issues with their hernia surgeries. After seeing 2 quote hernia experts at this hospital and finding they had no training in post hernia pain I was told they had a new expert coming in that was going to be in charge of their new hernia clinic and I was going to be one of the first patients to go through the protocol. When I asked what his training was I was told I had to see him for answers. When speaking to his nurse I asked and was told his special training, that he was from Boston and had an advanced degree in music. Not sure how that made him a hernia specialist. When asking the Dr. he stated he had involved with about 100 hernia surgeries and no triple neurectomies or mesh removals. I decided I was not going to be used as live training for this newbie and would live with the pain. This quote hernia center also states it does sports hernia care but when a star on one of its sports teams was diagnosed with one they sent him overseas to fix it. But for the average person I am sure they will be told how great they are in treating a sports hernia. No free trip overseas for them.
My original surgeon turned up in another state and soon afterward they started a hernia center and he is one of the experts. I found out shortly after my problems with my surgery that what I was told about him being a hernia specialist and performing hernia surgeries all of the time was pure BS. I got a copy audit that the state did on my complaint and instead of performing hernia surgeries all of the time he had not done one in 16 months until a couple a days before my surgery with him and than he only performed 7 from 2009 to 2015 but know he is a hernia specialist. When reviewing my notes he states inguinal cord, as a male I don’t think there is such a thing.
I would more than willing to forward any of the information I have to you on these two locations off of the forum. My major concern is for anyone with a hernia does not have to go through what I did and get the best possible surgeon for the best possible outcome. I know things can and will go wrong but make sure the odds a much better in favor of the patient.
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3 Replies
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Advice
My original diagnosis was an inguinal hernia but now I am pretty sure it was an incisional at my appendix surgery location.
The first was open with mesh. The second was lap for fixing the new opposite side inguinal hernia(a real one) and he found a unknown femoral hernia on the side of the original hernia surgery. They than went in open to remove the mesh from the original one. My local hospital never found the femoral one or did any proper imaging. Two years of pain and suffering.
Not sure if I should say but one in Florida.
Be careful, my local hernia center states they do sports hernia repair but when a top student athlete needed a sports hernia fixed they sent him to Germany.
Again I am not a Dr. but I think sports hernia have more to do with tears in the muscle or tissue in the groin area from movement- repetitive, sudden change in direction or stopping but let the experts chime in on this. I do know from research from trying to find a Dr that I think Dr. Billings was a noted hernia expert in the Northwest but he might not be doing hernia surgeries anymore. Dr Meyer in the Philly area is again I think known for his expertise in sports hernia surgery and I think he does a lot of pro athletes.
Good luck. Let me know if you have any other questions. Skill, knowledge, training, volume and known outcomes is very important. Again in most cases it is necessary but elective surgery. For some reason a lot of people blow this off as just a hernia and is the most basic surgery but from my research it is an area that is a very tight space with a lot going on.
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Advice
Beenthere — Your case is interesting to me, did you have a sports hernia or a real hernia? Was yours painful? What type of surgery did you have for the first and second surgery? Who did you see to finally go to get your situation resolved after the first clinic failed?
Thanks for sharing, I know medical complexities can be overwhelming as a patient.
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Advice
I hope this is OK that I am attaching my first office visit for evaluation on my hernia.
This doctor who did my surgery but has since moved out of state and is currently working at a hernia center.
This is the hospital that I had my surgery at and markets themselves as one of the best in the nation. They have also stated that my care was standard and acceptable. Also according to this hospital that as recently as late in 2012 they had a known 25% or higher post surgical pain after 1 year according to their own survey(found this out after the surgery, they stated all complications under 10%). They also state they are a hernia center.
In my notes from this office visit it does not show which side the hernia is on, location, size of bulge or diagram showing location. The doctor did both a standing and lying down exam of the inguinal area on this visit and one more. Maybe it is coded in the documents and only medical professionals can read it. No progress or patient notes!
Some advice to patients looking for a doctor, if you feel things are not right, ask for another doctor. I learned this too late, I had this feeling but was told by the doctors staff how great the doctor was, performed hernia surgeries all of the time and excellent outcomes. Afterward I found this was just standard information they gave to everyone. GO with you Gut feelings. In most cases this is necessary but still elective surgery on how soon you get it done.
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