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Mesh removal
Posted by Sheraldo on May 15, 2018 at 10:16 pmI went into surgery thinking I had bilateral femmoral hernias and an indirect inguinal hernia. That is what the musculoskeletal ultrasound showed. There were no hernias upon laparoscopic surgery. I am an athlete and the doctor decided to reinforce the abdominal wall with mash and tacks bilaterally. Having severe shooting stabbing pain whwre two of the tacks are…near ASIS and pubic bone.
He said mesh removal is hard at 6weeks.
im 2 weeks post op .
was going to give it a few more days then ask for removal if the pain from tacks isn’t better.
He said tack pain is worse if thin – I’m 102#
Anyone experience this or have thoughts .
thanksUnknown Member replied 6 years, 4 months ago 5 Members · 10 Replies -
10 Replies
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That is crazy that there were no hernias present and he still went through with surgery placing mesh. Hernia surgery has a high risk of chronic pain that is as high as 30%, especially when mesh is used. Tacks can also cause very bad pain, my removal surgeon said they never use tacks because they just cause pain/problems. When they fixate mesh with tacks it can cause pulling also and when you move it can make the tacks go in and move also with you. I had 2 big tacks that were used to fixate the mesh and they started driving into my pubic bone, upon mesh removal the surgeon said the tacks would start to erode into my pubic or they were, the pain from the mesh and tacks were unbearable. Your surgeon should at least go back in and remove them because they are forsure causing your pain and the mesh might be also. And the earlier you get mesh removed the better because it is not scarred in yet so I don’t know why he would say its hard to remove at 6 weeks that is not true. I hope you find some answers but those tacks should be taken out as a first step.
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Is your pain all the time, or only with certain movements? Two weeks out from surgery is still pretty early, but if you have tack pain one would imagine it could be dealt with directly.
Did you ask the surgeon if he can look at the region that is hurting so much? Did you ask the surgeon if he can investigate and/or remove the tacks if they align directly with your area of pain?
I know that some thoughtful doctors do a CT / MRI of the patient with a little marker at the patients pain focal point(s), so that those particular areas can be investigated directly. It may be valuable in a case like this if you think you have a tack that is not quite right.
Mesh removal is far more complicated than simply removing a tack however, and it’s really a specialty in and of itself, but some helpful resources may be:
– Dr Igor Belyansky in Annapolis MD
– Dr Bruce Ramshaw in TN
– Dr Jonathan Yunis in FL
– Dr Brian Jacobs in NYC
– Dr Shirin Towfigh in Los Angeles California
As for sports hernia specialists, which is also a unique specialty in and of itself, here are some potential resources:
– Dr William Meyers – Philadelphia PA
– Dr Alexander Poor – Philadelphia PA
– Dr Litwin – UMass MA
– Dr Brian Busconi – UMass MA
– Dr Andrew Boyarsky – NJ
– Dr William Brown – Fremont CA
Best of luck, and keep us updated on your case and progress.
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Whichever way you go make sure you see a surgeon who has expertise in mesh removal just in case there is a issue with the mesh itself. For example, if you decide to have exploratory surgery or to have the tacs removed and it turns out the mesh is bent or migrated or impinging in merbes you want someone who has done many removals otherwise you can come out worse. Brown and Meyers are very reputable but have more expertise in my research with removing mesh openly which is great if you had your mesh put in openly. If it was implanted laparoscopically dr. Igor Belyanski in Annapolis MD, Bruce Ramshaw, and Shirwin Towfigh May be the best way to go.
for my own two cents I think it borders on criminal/negligence to implant someone with a huge piece of plastic mesh when no hernias were found.
if this wasn’t discussed with you before your surgery id seriously consider legal action. -
Cleveland clinic
general surgeon
has done sports hernia repairs , abdominal wall repairs since 1999
I’m extremely confused how the musculoskeletal ultrasound by the musculoskeletal guru that people drive all over the country from to see her could be wrong on all diagnoses
I waited five months to get into see her and she seemed 100% confident that her diagnoses were correct
The surgeon reports he has seen frequent falls positives with ultrasound calling out for moral hernia is way too frequently
I know I’m only two weeks postop but it seems the longer you wait the worse things can get -
quote Sheraldo:I’m female. Elite triathlete.
ugh what should I do
I’m going to post twice just for emphasis. You really really need to see a doctor that works with athletes. There is a mainstream view on how to deal with hernias and groin pain and there are true specialists.
It might be that what you had done, the procedure used, just needs time. But only a doctor who has seen it actually happen, with one of their patients, can tell you for sure. The mainstream view is to wait and hope things resolve.
Edit – lastly, the mainstream surgeons will not be allowed to remove the mesh, even if they decide it should come out, without putting out huge effort. The medical system today is very formulaic and bureaucratic. Their decisions are all reviewed and actions have to be authorized.
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We posted in your other thread. Can you say what type of organization you were working with? Are they known for working on athletes?
Dr. Meyers on the east coast, and Dr. Brown on the west coast are your two best options, I think. They are both focused on athletes but are very aware of mesh complications. Good luck.
https://www.herniatalk.com/7260-bila…hernia-repairs
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Does anyone know who the best surgeons are for that?
Can the surgeon that put them in take them out? -
I was always under the impression that the mesh is easier to remove the less time it’s been in the body. If you do opt for removal seek out one of the best surgeons even if it means traveling-there are only a few. But you are early on in the recovery stage and maybe the above suggestion of just removing the tacks May be the best way to go. A cat scan can show the rack placement
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I’m female. Elite triathlete. Groin pain, rightnlower quadrant pain. Failed injections into everything you can think of ..
i didn’t ask yet about removal .
I’m really scared
I want to be an athlete again and the tacks hurt
my pajn was in femoral triangle and the pain now is by ASIS and pubic bone
ugh what should I do -
Did you ask the surgeon if it’s possible to remove the two tacks that are located where the pain is? If they’re located at the site of pain, perhaps that’d make some sense.
Are you male/female? Did you have any pain before surgery? What was the original complaint that led to the surgery?
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