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Hernia questions
I’m one year in from diagnosis and have had my operation cancelled twice within the past 2 months once due to the hospital having emergency’s the 2nd due to falling ill just before the surgery. Due to being a university student my window for surgery over the summer has basically closed and it looks like I may have to try wait till next summer now.
Q1
I’m a man and my inguinal hernia has sadly been steadily worsening however it’s easily pushed back inside and I manage my symptoms by wearing a truss. Is it safer for me to wait as it’s easily pushed back inside ? So at night while asleep it’s fully inside and circulation should be good, most of the time during the day the truss also keeps it under control if not 100% inside.Q2
My surgery pretty much has to be an open mesh surgery which I have mixed feelings about however mostly I’m upset that the options for anaesthetic everywhere I look say general and local but my surgeon said he will not operate under a local as it would apparently require many needles and cause great discomfort only to be used as a last resort for elderly and I’d have to use a spinal if I didn’t want a general. I’m terrified of a general and the spinal for different reasons. Is what my surgeon said really the case and if so, what is the likelihood of needing a catheter out in while under a spinal? I also heard sometimes it’s required for general too which I’m not keen on.Q3
How do you push through with it in the end ? I have a health anxiety issue and the prospect of surgery is terrifying but I know I need it and when it gets to the moment I just don’t know if I can go through with it, I’d genuinely do just about anything to avoid this whole surgery if I could. I’ve had a small one before under a local and it’s just the worst, the recovery too it’s awful that moment you look at what’s occurred and it sinks in. Any tips here greatly appreciated, I heard they can offer an anti anxiety at the hospital but genuinely I feel I’d need it starting from a week before the date and both my previous surgery dates that were rearranged absolutely wrecked me. -
1 Reply
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You seem to be letting the “system” decide what to do rather than deciding yourself and finding a way to make it happen. No offense. For example, local anesthetic is commonly preferred for open hernia surgery, not general anesthetic. So your surgeon seems off-track from the start. You should easily be able to find a surgeon who does open repair under local anesthetic. And, the right surgeon will leave very small imperceptible scars, even with open surgery.
Also, you said that you “pretty much” have to have open mesh repair. Why? Research the best method for you and find a way to get that repair method.
Taking control of the situation will reduce your anxiety.
As far as waiting, a recent survey of surgeons at a large meeting of surgeons revealed that the vast majority of them would wait to have hernia surgery. They would avoid rushing to fix something that might not need fixing right away. Ironically, possibly, some of them were probably the same surgeons who would tell their patients scare stories about dying from strangulated intestines due to hernias.
It sounds like you have a direct hernia that is easily reducible. Also that you are not a senior citizen. So, waiting and researching, to find the best method for you seems advisable. Don’t hurry to try and “get it over with”. It is a major decision in your life and could affect it in major ways. It’s a simple and easy procedure for the surgeons, but can have devastating effects for the patient.
Good luck.
Here is an article that addresses many of your concerns.
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/99f5/b4859c34312687effcef2d38697b1f9c73f2.pdf
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