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Lower abdominal, intestinal pain/soreness symptoms
I’ve had a knot-like feeling in my lower abdomen on my right side for about 2 1/2 years, right around or just above where mesh was placed robotically to fix an indirect hernia a few years ago. Started spontaneously a few months after surgery in the middle of the night one evening, and has been an ongoing issue ever since. Maybe the most annoying symptom besides the tightness in that same general area.
Sometimes I will be laying in bed on my side and feel really good (no pain or symptoms) but then after a while will start getting pain and soreness in that area. No nausea or anything, just a deeper soreness that seems more like it’s abdominal or intestinal somehow, that can sometimes even extend down further towards my testicle. This can then last for just a little while after I wake up or for a couple of hours.
I’ve had tons of imaging and exams and no one sees any sort of recurrence. I actually have a mesh removal scheduled for 2/15 in Maryland because of these issues and regular soreness in the area, and just hoping I won’t be any worse off and might even see a fix for some of these things. But the non-specific nature of some of the problems makes it impossible to know if they will get better after removal or maybe even worse.
Anyway, just wondering if anyone had this type of issue after mesh placement. I still have no idea what’s truly going on, but my body just doesn’t seem to be happy after this surgery, and I suspect at least the mesh might have shrunk a bit and maybe resulted in a tight repair (it’s also progrip, so I think you get one shot to place it in the space, and if that doesn’t go perfectly it might be too tight), and I may have had too strong an inflammatory response to the mesh. Will potentially find out more info soon assuming I go through with this and the surgeon is able to tell what’s going on.
I also wonder if things are somehow pulling or tugging in the area and resulting in some referred discomfort in what feels like the intestines. Half of my issues are above and around where I understand the mesh is as much as the area where the mesh actually should sit.
Thanks
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This discussion was modified 3 years, 10 months ago by
ajm222.
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This discussion was modified 3 years, 10 months ago by
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4 Replies
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thanks again @drbrown. i don’t really love the idea of someone sticking a needle through the mesh that’s under the layer of muscle since this was placed robotically, but perhaps that’s an option. it sounds like in some people the mesh doesn’t actually become hard, and in some people it does? if so, i would assume it’s just different inflammatory responses? becoming harder than expected would certainly explain why I feel like my right side is stiffer and why i have a mild foreign body sensation when raising my leg or bending over. and perhaps shrinkage is why i have the tightness and pulling sensation in my lower abdomen. all would seem reasons to remove the mesh considering these things will not change and possibly get worse. i was told that there is rarely a hernia present immediately after removal, and that there are rarely early recurrences either after removal if the original hernia was indirect (which is what mine was), and that i can get a pure tissue open repair down the road if anything does happen. would just have to hope no complications from the mess of removal, and to expect a fairly long recovery period.
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@ajm222
Dear AJM.
Ask your local doctor to inject the mesh with a local anesthetic. If you feel better for a few hours then that would be evidence that the mesh is the etiology of your trouble. Also, if it is difficult to push the needle through the mesh,then that indicates that the mesh has become hard.
Regards.
Bill Brown MD -
Thanks, @drbrown – i’ve been checked for nerve involvement and don’t seem to have that issue. we suspect it is probably the mesh. just not as severe a case as many here. that’s why it’s been so hard to make the decision to remove the mesh. would love to just get it out, but i also understand the risks.
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@ajm222
Dear AJM.
The mesh can be the source of your trouble. It often shrinks with time. If your local doctor injects the mesh with a local anesthetic and you feel better for a few hours that would be strong evidence that the mesh is the source of the pain.
Also, ask that the surgeon checks the nerves for you.
Regards.
Bill Brown MD
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