-
Dr recommended mesh removal……
All,
Not sure what to think about my current situation. I had bilateral indirect inguinal hernia repair (laproscopic) w/mesh in 2014. After having months of moderate/severe groin pain and endless spasms, I had a CT Scan and two MRI’s. A doctor recommended mesh removal. The second MRI showed fluid built up near my pubic bone, but otherwise no definitive diagnosis. Based on history/exam, he thinks the mesh could be causing the irritation. I don’t know if I should proceed, or ask for a diagnostic laproscopy, or just try to live with it. It has really been tough.
For anyone who is still interested, here is my story in a little more detail:
Nov 2014 Original hernia surgery.. Healed and was more or less problem-free w/ occasional discomfort. Maintained a generally active lifestyle (jogging, limited weight lifting, rowing, caving, etc).
Dec 2018- Regretfully started an intense stair-running workout routine which I did for several weeks. One night I crossed my legs on the couch and felt a lower abdominal “tearing” sensation, near my pubic bone / surgical site, which was alarming. However, there was no immediate pain at that time. I called off exercise for a while. A few weeks went by with no real issues.
Jan 2019- I did tricep rope pulldowns for the first time in ages. Pain began the next morning.
Pain was near the pubic bone (right side) and hurt to touch. Most activities (pushups, etc) did not hurt, but it did hurt to cough vigorously. I was obviously fearful of a hernia recurrence .Local doctors said they could not detect a recurrence, but none of the exams were very thorough. CT and MRI imaging of the pelvis were said to be unremarkable. Doctors were unable to offer a diagnosis and suggested rest and NSAIDs, which did not work at all. Spasms started and became almost constant (still an issue to this day, 4 months of daily spasms!)
Feb, March 2019 – The problematic spot no longer hurt to touch, but initiating motion (even just getting up from sitting and walking around the office) often caused a sharp pain above my pubic bone, and spasms persist. After several weeks, there was also a burning/radiating pain that affected the whole region between belly button and pubic bone, especially when bending.
April 2019 – Symptoms persist, even with minor activities such as walking, pushing open a heavy door with foot, and mowing the lawn with heavy boots on. Even shifting my posture in the chair can send a jolt of pain. One day, I did some pushups and felt fine, but immediately afterwards, I lifted the hinged cover on my grill (5 lbs) and felt like I had been stabbed in the groin. Straining in general causes pain, although situps don’t hurt and neither do pushups. Light jogs are ok. Any sort of weight-based exertion tends to intensify the pain. I usually get hit with several sharp “jabs” of this pain per day and ceaseless spasms – the spasms are just never ending. Sometimes, bending to lift things off the floor will be painful (like a garden hose). Spasms are on both sides of my abdomen. The spasms are near-constant and are very, very distracting. Muscle relaxers are ineffective.
Saw a Doctor who ordered a second MRI, which revealed a moderate amount of fluid near the pubic bone, suggesting some sort of irritation. He recommended mesh removal. He believes it could be causing the irritation. Perhaps it was torn or damaged.
I have a one year old baby, and carry him against my stomach, the increased pressure can cause significant pain in my lower abs/groin. This is usually followed by an increased amount of spasming. Sometimes, when we are reading bedtime books, if he leans back against my belly, I can feel a painful spike in my groin. Once or twice, it has been mildly painful to take a deep breath. Hugs can sometimes cause discomfort as well, but this is usually not the case. I am having to get my wife to do basic activities, such as lifting our baby and doing things such as yard work and taking out the trash. Multiple people have commented on how I “look like I’ve lost weight”.
Recap
- Spasms
- Sharp, localized pain above pubic bone when I initiate movement/shift posture/lift things up
- Irritation/burn pain with certain postures/movements near crease in belly
- Pain near pubic bone w/ belly compression
Thank you so much for anyone who is willing to offer an opinion.
-
2 Replies
-
quote mitchtom6:Nov 2014 Original hernia surgery.. Healed and was more or less problem-free w/ occasional discomfort. Maintained a generally active lifestyle (jogging, limited weight lifting, rowing, caving, etc).Dec 2018- Regretfully started an intense stair-running workout routine which I did for several weeks. One night I crossed my legs on the couch and felt a lower abdominal “tearing” sensation, near my pubic bone / surgical site, which was alarming. However, there was no immediate pain at that time. I called off exercise for a while. A few weeks went by with no real issues.
Your previous posts must have got held up, I hadn’t seen them until now. I see that you added some detail. You say “more or less problem-free”, then describe starting intense exercise. Were you holding back over those four years? Why? The activities you mentioned are not very intense. Jogging, light weights, etc.
I don’t want to discount Dr. Towfigh’s advice but your situation is very familiar, even down to the date of hernia repair.
Your situation is similar to mine except that I started intense activity, playing competitive soccer, as soon as the surgeon said I could, three weeks after surgery. I also had bilateral implantation of Bard Soft Mesh, two 6×6″ pieces, via the TEP procedure. I also had pain at the pubic bone when I did things that stressed that area, like pullups and pushups. In TEP they like to place the mesh all the way down on to the pubic bone, to bond to the pubic bone to hold it in place, as I understand things. The lower abdomen ends up completely coated in mesh, internally, and becomes very stiff and inflexible, like a plastic bowl.
Good luck. Supply more details if you have them. You didn’t say specifically but I’ll bet that both surgeons checked for a recurrence via the manual method, and maybe ultrasound, but did not find anything.
[USER=”2856″]mitchtom6[/USER]
-
Responded to you in a different post.
In short: hernia recurrence is top on my list of causes for you.
Log in to reply.