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Confused and Frightened Double Hernia Repair and Symptoms
Dr Towfigh
In December of 2017 I had laparoscopic double hernia surgery to the umbilical and right inguinal area. 8 months post of I have stabbing pains in the right inguinal area which may be from the 6 titanium tacks holding the mesh in place. These pains happen maybe 5-10 times per day for 2-5 minutes each occurance. Also my naval area is now experiencing some soreness around the entire naval area in all directions which comes and goes. This area that was repaired was never giving me any issue and was there since birth at only 2 cm. Instead of a simple suture repair the dr decided to place a 4.3 cm ventral light hernia mesh and sutured to the fascia on 4 corners. The fascia was then closed over the mesh in a figure of 8 fashion x 3 using 2-0 Ethibond sutures. The skin incision was then closed with 4-0 monocryl.Question – why would the dr not just suture this area rather than use a big piece of mesh and permanently suture the area, would this not cause tightness and pain? I have been experiencing tightness in this area and pain around the naval area for 45 days. Also a deep tissue pain in the left abdominal areaabout 5″ left of my naval area ( which is not another hernia). Could the umbilical hernia repair cause this left abdominal pain along with other naval pain around the umbilical area stemming upwards of about 3” above the naval along with 1” below the naval. Also in the past 2 months I have had an upset stomach, loss of appetite and migratory pain around the abdominal area. I have had a ultrasound, CT scan with contrast, endoscopy and biopsy which have all come back clean, no cancers, no bacterial infections, nothing except the radiologist noted possible tethering or adhesions but my dr said this was probably not the case b/c very difficult to see tehering or adhesions on a CT scan as it could appear as if two sheets of paper are on top of one another but no one knows if they are actually sticking together.
Could either hernia repair cause these symptoms? I have never had any health related issues in my entire life until this dr performed this surgery for what 2 other dr’s said I did not need.
I do not drink alcohol, smoke, little to no stress in my life, I’m 49 and semi retired, run 4 miles 4-5 x per week, eat a plant based diet each day, get 8 hours of rest each day, on zero medications, no medical conditions. The only thing that has happened was this surgery. I have no appetite, abdominal soreness, right inguinal stabbing pains a few times a day.Dr Towfigh and chateau 74, could you please offer your opinion? It would be very much appreciated.
Until I had the CT scan the dr that did the repair told me I had absorbable tacks that was until I asked him why the radiologist found 6 tacks that never dissolved then he said he was confused as to why they never dissolved until I told him him “well dr, maybe you never used dissolvable tacks!” I’m not saying that’s my problem but he seemed very clueless about what he put inside me which does not give me very much confidence about the procedure that was doneCould the umbilical repair with the permanent sutures be causing this pain in this region? Could it cause a loss of appetite, migratory pain around my abdomin? And if so would it be worth getting it removed?
Also been experiencing heavy hair loss. Is hairless associated with infections from hernia surgery? Has anyone either of you have ever come in contact with said this before about hair loss?And my last question if removal is the decision is it best to remove both at one time or start with the umbilical area, see how that goes than do the inguinal hernia if symptoms do not ease.
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2 Replies
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Thanks for your post. Some answers for you:
– umbilical hernias greater than 1cm have been shown to have Lower recurrence rates when mesh is used. That may be why mesh was implanted, which is standard.
– most of your symptoms seem to be relatable to the umbilical hernia repair. Infection is rare. Other causes can include recurrence, mesh folding, and foreign body sensation, and foreign body reaction. Evaluation by a surgeon who is used to evaluating patients such as yourself would be helpful.
– hair loss has anecdotally been associated with mesh reaction in few patients. Most likely it is not related. It has not been associated with mesh infection.
I would recommend addressing the belly button and delay addressing the groin mesh in a staged process.
How do you know you have titanium tacks? If that’s what it said in the operative report, then for sure they are not absorbable. But that’s ok. I prefer those tacks actually.
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It seems odd that your doctor would not respect the opinion of a trained expert in radiology. The radiologist spent much time and effort learning to read images. Adhesions are a common problem for all forms of abdominal surgery.
The mesh shrinks over time so that alone, regardless of tack usage, could cause some discomfort. 4.3 cm = about 1 3/4″ so it’s not a huge piece of mesh though. 15 cm x 15 cm (~6 n x 6 in) is a common starting point for laparoscopic mesh implantation, cut to fit the space. I don’t think that have enough information to really determine if mesh removal is needed. A surgeon that actually does mesh removal would recognize the symptoms and be able to tell you more.
Good luck. Dr. Towfigh just posted her practice’s direct contact number in a separate post,if you want to contact her via her practice.
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