Black & Blue from Inguinal Hernia

[dand]

Black & Blue from Inguinal Hernia

5 days ago had robotic inguinal hernia surgery for a large hernia the size of a cantaloupe going into the scrotum. Surgery took 3 hours. A progrip mesh was used to do the repair. So far no pain meds are needed. My post op results are much better then expected after reading the many negatives that have been posted on the internet & various forums. 3 days after surgery my scrotum area turned back & blue. After waking up this AM/ 5 days after surgery I felt some tenderness & soreness when touching the scrotum area (its raining & not sure if that effected wound)… seems to have lessened after doing my morning walk.
Needless to say I am happy that the surgery is over & so far seemed to have chosen the right surgeon… guess only time will tell for sure. I will keep future posts with my results.

[dand]

Black & Blue from Inguinal Hernia

Appreciate the confirmation sounds like the surgeon told me the right thing.

[drtowfigh]

Black & Blue from Inguinal Hernia

Agreed.

If the hernia has a (large) scrotal component/extension to it, it is good practice to leave the deeper extension of the sac alone. Otherwise, the operation becomes more likely to bleed, cause swelling, and even a hematoma.

[dand]

Black & Blue from Inguinal Hernia

Thank you Dr. Shirin Towfigh… you nailed my condition. The surgeon also said that he does not want to get to close to the testicles… some of the sac may be left as a safety precaution. Would that be normal procedure & expected?

[drtowfigh]

Black & Blue from Inguinal Hernia

Black and blue discoloration occurs at about 3-5 days after groin surgery and lasts usually about 1 week and then resolves.

This is basically blood from the operation. The more dissection, bleeding, scar, etc., from the operation, then the more likely to have the discoloration. Usually, larger hernias are more likely to have postoperative discoloration. The color is because the blood at the level of the hernia repair/dissection then travels through the tissues as it is pulling from gravity and ends up wherever gravity takes it. It does not imply anything more than it was a difficult/complicated/large/bloody/scarred area.

[dand]

Black & Blue from Inguinal Hernia

FYI:Men: In men, the scrotum or penis may become bruised (black and blue) or swollen. The swelling, if it occurs, can become large. This represents that the space where your hernia once was has filled with fluid. This is usually from something called a seroma. If this is happening, there is nothing specific that needs to be done other than sometimes holding compression (or wearing a binder) can minimize the swelling. Make sure to notify your surgeon and show him this. Over time, in most situations, this will resolve completely spontaneously.

http://www.nychernia.com/for-patients/inguinal-hernia-surgery-discharge-instructions/

[WasInTN]

Black & Blue from Inguinal Hernia

DAND
Did your surgeon say that the black and blue will disappear after a week? If not, that is a red signal. So do ask what will happen to this black and blue and how long it will last.

Robotic surgery? What does that mean? Will he switch on some computer arms and go out of the room and come back when all lights are back on? or is he using a robotic arm to do this? How many such surgeries did he do like these before and can you talk to one of those patients and get feedback?

Rule of thumb – second day after surgery during your night sleep when the bladder fills up slowly you should feel an erection. This proves that the nerves are intact and all is well. I felt one and asked Dr. G if that was a bad thing. He said, “no, it was a good thing.” First day only you will feel exhausted from pain, cut and the anesthesia. Dr. G asked me to walk and keep walking for the mesh to merge well. I walked in mall and in hotel room whenever I woke up from my sleep. I could not walk faster but no matter how sloe keep walking. I walked till my legs ached. It helps a lot.

My advice – write all your questions from A to Z and talk to your surgeon (and those patients). If your surgeon thinks that you are asking too many questions and wasting his time, find another surgeon. No good surgeon – who really feels your pain and wants to help you – should feel that way. Good luck and please update your status.

[dand]

Black & Blue from Inguinal Hernia

Did not have surgery yet & I am scheduled for robotic surgery for large inguinal hernia. The Dr said that you can may have black & blue in lower areas as well as a seroma from surgery. Any members have similar experience?

[Chaunce123]

Black & Blue from Inguinal Hernia

I think it’s basically because the surgical area and activity often involves the spermatic cord, and then afterwards gravity does its job. Since the testicles descended from the abdomen there is a connection between the two, which is also part of why the indirect hernia can form in the first place, so I would bet the bruising follows the natural pathway down into the groin as well.

How did your surgery go overall? Fellow patients would likely appreciate hearing your experience, opinion, surgeon choice, etc, if you feel comfortable sharing it.

[WasInTN]

Black & Blue from Inguinal Hernia

In the first week after surgery, the scrotum swells a bit due to accumulated blood and the surgical would can cause some color change of skin. If you are fair skinned (aka WHITE), you will probably see a lot of color. But everything goes away within one week if surgery went well.

For dark skinned people the change may not be very noticeable. Compared to the wound pain for one week, the color change is nothing. Wound pain can be tackled well with a good prescription medicine that the surgeon gives.

In two weeks everything will be fine – if surgeon is like Dr. Goodyear (my IH was done by DR G)