News Feed Discussions Hernia Mess Pain??

  • Hernia Mess Pain??

    Posted by Gregg on August 12, 2020 at 6:32 pm

    Hey everyone,
    I had my inguinal hernia on my right side repaired with “keyhole” mesh in 2009. I have been pain free, but about a month ago I went to the ER with extreme pain to my right lower abdomen under my bellybutton. They did a CT scan and didn’t find anything. I am much better, but still getting sharp poking pains from time to time in the same location. I am concerned the mesh might have migrated. Is there any test that can be done to check for this? Also, I got A record of my surgery done in 2009 but it had no mention of the manufacturer of the mesh other than stating “keyhole” mesh. Is there anyway to find this info?

    Gregg replied 4 years, 3 months ago 4 Members · 4 Replies
  • 4 Replies
  • Gregg

    Member
    August 13, 2020 at 10:02 am

    I’m living in U.S. in Georgia. I got both the records from the hospital where the operation took place and from the surgeon’s office that did the operation. They were actually the exact same. I guess it doesn’t matter what mesh was used. I just wanted to see if it was one that was recalled. I saw my primary care doctor and he referred me to a general surgeon. I’m assuming it will be a dead end. Are there any hernia specialist in or close to Georgia? I‘m very active and have had no severe pain since I have stopped running and playing in an adult soccer league. I get an occasional weird pain in the same spot I was having issues, but otherwise doing well compared to some people. I’m just afraid it will flare up again when I start exercising or get worse as I get older.

  • Alephy

    Member
    August 12, 2020 at 11:05 pm

    This is what I have wondered about i.e. how common is it that people with a mesh repair will experience problems years after the original surgery? And are these people counted in the original ~15/20% of people having problems? (I would be surprised as patients are not followed up, certainly not for a span of many years)…

    I would think 11 years is still a relatively short time considering that removing the mesh is a major surgery:(

    I also find ironic that in our digital world we know everything of everybody but we do not own or know about our medical records:(

  • Good intentions

    Member
    August 12, 2020 at 9:02 pm

    Where are you? In the States, many surgeons use surgery centers to do their repairs. They can use several different centers, depending on what they need and availability. The surgery center will have more detailed records on what materials were used, since they supply those materials. 2009 is quite a while ago so your records might have been destroyed by now. But if you contact the place that you had your surgery at they might still have them.

    Your pain would most likely be from the mesh pulling free from surrounding tissue or tissue close to the mesh getting strained because the mesh has tied up the tissue that it is attached to, making it stiff and inelastic.

    Really, the type of mesh probably is irrelevant to finding a solution. You’ll be offered pain management and if you hold out long enough, either neurectomy or mesh removal. Eleven years is not bad, if life has been good for those eleven.

    Good luck.

  • Unknown Member

    Deleted User
    August 12, 2020 at 8:03 pm

    MRI might be more helpful than CT scan (search forum for MRI).

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