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Help wanted – Mesh Failure?
Folks,
I’m looking for links to Docs that can work on Hernia repair that has already been repaired once using a mesh. I think it was a J&J product but would need to dig out the file. If you can help, please post and I will follow up. I have a bulge of varying size right in the same spot as before. It varies from nothing when standing up from seating or getting out of bed to ‘just proud’ of the original scar tissue once I start moving around to let’s say if you cut an egg lengthwise and stuck the half into your abdomen. The latter is after activity. There is no pain to speak of, perhaps a burning sensation on the very odd occasion but mostly nothing painful.
7+ years ago I had an inguinal mesh repair. What I heard from the doc was ….”This area will be very strong now the mesh is in place”. So thinks I, “I have a Superman like repair, I don’t push weights, I’m 5’ 10” and 178 lbs. I’m a poster child for high fiber and am active to the level of household DIY, car maintenance, yard work etc., what could go wrong” In the last 12 months I’ve had two ‘flu’ like bouts let’s say, both accompanied by heavy coughing. The last was early November, that’s when I noticed a bulge in varying size as described in the first para. I believe it was brought on by coughing. At no point ever was I told to be aware of bouts of coughing, interestingly for the first time I found a thread last night that listed that as a potential cause of hernia recurrence. To say I’m disappointed is an understatement, I now have to go through surgery again when it may very well be that it could have been avoided. Maybe it could not, I’ll never know but I’m very suspicious. I had no issues whatsoever for the 7 + years and then all of sudden after a heavy cold….bingo.
Also…my strong recommendation to all who have had hernia repair….go and buy a hernia belt and use it as a secondary support for any times you have heavy bouts of coughing from a cold or maybe even if you are just crawling around under a car changing oil. I think if I had done that I wouldn’t be on this forum. I have no medical evidence to support that (pun intended) so take this with however many grains of salt you wish to.
Take care and any links to decent hernia repair centers much appreciated. I live in Houston but will travel to get a decent job done.
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7 Replies
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If I have to go with Laproscopic, is it always a requirement that the person is knocked out cold?
Thanks
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quote drtowfigh:Agree with [USER=”2042″]Jnomesh[/USER]
If the original repair was done open and it is a simple recurrence, then laparoscopic repair is the next best option.
MRI pelvis will show the mesh as related to the recurrence.Thanks Dr. Towfigh
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Agree with [USER=”2042″]Jnomesh[/USER]
If the original repair was done open and it is a simple recurrence, then laparoscopic repair is the next best option.
MRI pelvis will show the mesh as related to the recurrence. -
Thank you all for taking the time to respond. I guess a first step is to get an evaluation of whether this is something new or a mesh failure or something entirely unconnected with hernia. I went 6 hours on Christmas day with the area completely flat and me moving around as normal. Then back to the usual pattern as described in my first post. It was an open mesh repair done under local in June 2011, no trouble at all, quick virtually pain free recovery, never thought about it until about 6 weeks ago.
Is there a scan procedure that could show exactly what is going on before I make my next move or some non surgical way of figuring what has happened?
Thanks again for your input. -
Hi iceflow. Based on what you said, it seems that you have had an Inguinal Hernia. Mesh failure is a very rare phenomenon today. And since you said that you had undergone your surgery 7years ago, it makes perfect sense to say that this mesh failure is probably due to any one of the following reasons :
1. The material of Mesh used (materials that are currently not available in the market )
2. Overweight
3. Heavy lifting
4. Bike riding for prolonged hoursFor more about Inguinal Hernia visit the link provided below.
Inguinal Hernia Surgery in Chennai | Hernia Surgeon in Chennai |Dr Maran
https://springfieldwellnesscentre.com
Inguinal Hernia surgery is done by laparoscopy using Hernia mesh. Dr Maran, the top hernia surgeon and henia specialist does Hernia Surgery in Chennai. -
quote iceflow:I have a bulge of varying size right in the same spot as before. It varies from nothing when standing up from seating or getting out of bed to ‘just proud’ of the original scar tissue once I start moving around to let’s say if you cut an egg lengthwise and stuck the half into your abdomen. The latter is after activity. There is no pain to speak of, perhaps a burning sensation on the very odd occasion but mostly nothing painful.
It might be just tissue damage and swelling. You really need to get a good diagnosis. Don’t assume too much, this early. If there’s no pain and no recurrence your best option might be to accept the unsightly lump and live with it. Don’t get surgery for cosmetic reasons. The risks are too high.
If you can find the details of your surgery there might be something there. Of the many many varieties of mesh and implantation techniques, each has its own unique faults along with the common inflammation problem.
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Hi iceflow. Sorry to hear about the recurrence.
the standard practice (although maybe not the best) is to put in more mesh but the opposite way that your original hernia was repaired. Ie if you had you mesh implanted openly then they would do a redo surgery but implant the mesh laparoscopically. And vice verbs I’d tkj had your mesh implanted laparoscopically.
Tjerr are a lot of people on this forum who have had major issues due to the implantation of mesh so having double mesh implanted maybe something that you want to look into doing or not doing .
also depending on how you originally had your mesh implanted will help you seek out the surgeon for a second surgery as some surgeons specialize in laparoscopic repair with our without robotic assistance and other specialize in open repairs.
personally I would be concerned if the mesh failed and a hernia recurred what is that mesh doing inside of your body? Did it migrated? Is the area the of the mesh where the hernia pushed through causing the mesh to fray and possibly damage nervy structures down the line?
i only bring this up because you may want the surgeon to first check out the status of the existing
mesh before just plopping a new one in the other way.
if the implanted laparoscopically the top surgeons can go in laparoscopically check out the existing mesh and either remove the old failed one and put in a new one or if the mesh is intact then go in openly and put in a new mesh.
most surgeons can’t do this but there are a few who can and are worth traveling for.
ofcourse the above suggestions are for if you want to have the repair with mesh.
there are options if you want the repair done without mesh but depends on some other factored
I’d say right now the best surgeons out there who can do it all-lapro, open, mesh, no mesh are
dr. Igor Belyanski in Annapolis MD, dr. Sherwin Towfigh in CA and dr. Bruce Ramshaw in TN ( he may have currently stopped doing surgery)
tjere are others out there too-this is just a shortlist of in my opinion the best of the best.
hope this helps. Whatever route you take just make sure you are seeing a hernia specialist and not a general surgeon because your case is more complex.
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