How many tacks are typically used in lap surgery?

[Chuck]

my op report says Device Mesh Fixation 5mmw/30 Tacks absorbable (3) Does this mean that 30 tacks were used to affix the garbage 3d max mesh that was placed in me? I love this disclosure from my Op report “Patient was advised of the risks of mesh infection mesh erosion chronic pain…patient still wants to proceed” FLAT OUT LIE Sam Carvajal told me there were no risks…and a 1-5000 risk of chronic pain. This guy is a flat out criminal.

[Watchful]

Doctor’s notes in the US typically bear little resemblance to what was actually said during the consultation. It’s some bizarre CYA thing, often with boilerplate language, although I don’t know how it helps the doctor legally because there is no real input or acknowledgement from the patient.

I don’t know how seriously you should take the details in the op report either. Some of it could be copy-and-paste. Part of my op report at Shouldice was most likely copy-and-paste because it contradicted what the surgeon told me was done during the surgery, and it seemed to be taken from a generic description of the procedure. One important thing that happened had no mention at all in the op report.

[drtowfigh]

Most likely the comment is logging in what disposable implant was used. The tacker used comes with 30 tacks in them. Though I’ve seen 30 deployed in someone, that would be way outside standard. A simple X-ray or CT scan can show how many tacks have been used and where they are.

US op reports btw are so much more informative than non-US.

[Good intentions]

The notes seem to refer to a preloaded Medtronic fixation device. 30 5mm absorbable tacks are preloaded in the instrument, ready for use. The tacks are absorbable so would not show up on any imaging after a certain period of time. The surgeon could have used anything from one to 30 of them. I pasted a link below that shows many details.

Many surgeons cut and paste their post-surgery notes together, from what I’ve seen. My implantation surgeon reported 5 titanium tacks in his notes. When I talked to him afterward about how the mesh didn’t need fixation so fixation shouldn’t be the cause of my pain he rambled about using some tacks because the hernia was bigger than he thought it would be. No titanium tacks showed up in the MRI that I had done as part of the path to mesh removal.
When the mesh was removed Dr. Billing did not find any tacks.

Here is a pdf file from Medtronic about the tacking device and its contents.

https://asiapac.medtronic.com/content/dam/covidien/library/gb/en/legacyimport/surgicalinnovations/hernia/apps/1/eu-15-206002-hernia-care-solutions/apps/b2c0a29ea3df86767047b9e3db328a59/medias/5d297b074a7a4efb35034be55fd931a7d6c606d5.pdf

[pinto]

Chuck, Wow, “patient still wants to proceed.” Even granting the copy/paste operation noted, it’s bizarre language. The double-faced nature of it made me laugh (excuse me). I can concur with your tenor because I received disbelief expressions from some mesh surgeons (not to pick on mesh) when I raised the matter of risk. With such surgeon attitude, I can well imagine that “patient still wants to proceed” is not copy-paste! (surgeon self-delusion)

@Good intentions, does your account mean your original surgeon got tripped up by his own copy-pasting? Could titanium tacks somehow disappear?? Should he have even considered such tacks? And even the op report appears unclear precisely what implant device was used. This would make assessment of post-op condition incredibly difficult.

[NFG12]

Tacks are never a good option and you seem to be very cocky about it but don’t even know. The removal surgeon’s I went to said
Think about putting tacks in a chalkboard, everytime you have sex its like it’s hitting it in your pubic bone at every pump to say dies that sound right? Tacks should never be used as my honest surgeon’s said. The ones that disintegrate are different mine started eroding into my pubic bone so before you start to school someone school yourself cause you seem clueless! Like putting Tacks onto notes into a tackboard etc think about that.

[NFG12]

And bro it’s the gold standard even if nowadays watchful waiting is the gold standard. Get your hernia fixed while it’s smaller etc while I’ve talked to surgeons which have a hernia which don’t go for surgery cause it’s reducible. Hernias don’t hurt, some are from yourself doing this or that some are being born with an indirect for us males. A surgeon told me I won’t fix a hernia unless it’s the size off an apple or you are weightlifting, that said alot and everything.

[Author]

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