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Mesh removal question.
Hello all, I just had a repair done for a small umbilical hernia a little over four weeks ago, laparoscopic with mesh. Was actually my first surgery. I have no pain, recovery is going good, except for the last bit of swelling that’s going away little by little.
I do have one problem though. Before surgery, I had no clue on what mesh even was. Doctor just told me he was gonna add a mesh into me and tissue will eventually grow around and strengthen my weak area. Now after surgery, and after doing all the research on the possible complications of mesh, it’s driving me insane knowing I have this in me. To be honest, I have seen way more success stories online compared to horror stories and I am aware that the success rate is far much larger than the unsuccessful rate, but knowing I have it inside of me gives me the creeps and it’s starting to mess with my head almost. I wish my surgeon would have discussed this with me and would have gave me time to think about it. This leads to my question.
Is it possible to have the mesh removed, even if there are no complications? Would it be easier to remove since it’s still early after surgery?
Also, if anyone has any insight on this, what even happens to mesh later down the road? Does it eventually degrade? I’ve seen a good amount of posts on different forums where people have had mesh implanted twenty years ago and still have no problems, but I haven’t seen anything past 23 years. I’m still pretty young, in my twenties, and knowing that I have it inside of me without even knowing what’s gonna happen later down the road also worries me.
Any information, or advice, will help.
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8 Replies
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If it makes you feel any better, my understanding is that umbilical hernias seem to have a pretty high recurrence rate if repaired by sutures and not mesh. Also, the sutures used in most non-mesh repairs are typically permanent themselves (if your concern is having a foreign and artificial substance in your body). So even if you got a non-mesh repair, you’d still likely be left with something inside you holding the tissue together.
I understand worrying about having something inside your body (I’ve worried about that myself), but it really just depends on how you think about it. Some people see it as a cool thing and like to brag about it 🙂 I know Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson (the super buff movie star guy) was posting about feeling like Superman and having true ‘abs of steel’ after having mesh placed in what I think was a bilateral hernia repair after he tore things up real good while working out.
If you’re feeling good now, that’s an especially good sign. I would just feel fortunate that your recovery is going so well and you’re now ‘fixed’ and just expect things to only get better.
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I think that it’s important to be objective about your new predicament. If your life is diminished don’t feel guilty about making every effort to find a cure for the new problem. Look back at your life after one year, or six months, and compare it to what it should be, what was promised. Then decide what actions to take, considering all of the potential life in front of you. Which is basically the same reasoning used to decide to get a hernia repaired. In the meantime try to get back to a normal life.
Keep track of what makes things better and what makes it worse. You might find that avoiding certain things makes a big difference and that you can live without those activities, and that what’s left is good enough.
Also, consider your insurance plans. They change on a yearly basis. Make sure that you have choices in the future.
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Hello,
I just thought I would add my two cents on this. I had mesh placed for inguinal hernia in the groin and I also struggled with this idea of having it inside my body especially after reading all the horror stories. My recovery was almost a year ago and at times it has been tough but it seems to be getting better albeit very slowly. The anxiety of having the mesh can seem overwhelming at times but it will get easier and eventually you don’t think about it as much. The full recovery can take up to a year so just try to be patient. I know that is easier said than done but just don’t read too much into it. And if you are having severe pain like from an entrapped nerve then yes you could find a surgeon to remove it. Hopefully Dr Towfigh who runs these forums will have an input as well.
Take care!
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Yeah I guess you’re right, if you don’t mind, when I get my surgery report I’ll message you about it and hopefully you can give me some insight on the type used.
I really do feel for people who suffer and who have suffered from hernias in the groin area. It does seem very complex.
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It was probably right to get it repaired then. Some people do fine with synthetic mesh, apparently. It’s hard to say if early is better than later. You’ll probably know within a few months if you’re going to have problems.
Don’t fret, just see if you can make it work. It’s in an area that is not as complex as the groin so if you do have problems it probably won’t be as tedious to remove it as inguinal mesh is. I think that surgery is generally always dangerous. Best to avoid it.
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Also forgot to add, I had been having problems with it for a little over a year. I noticed it started to decreased in size right before the surgery, nothing drastic, but it for sure started to get more sensitive and tender. Also, my job requires a lot of lifting so I didn’t wanna run the risk of making it even larger in the future. I am pretty active as well.
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Thanks for the reply Good intentions.
I mean it felt small, but man it was starting to cause discomfort. Even a few nights before surgery, I got this throbbing pain at the site and when I would rub my finger over the lump it was so painful.
I’m getting my surgical report this week so hopefully it’ll give me some information on the mesh that was used.
Would it be dangerous to get the mesh removed if there is no problems? In other words, do you think having another surgery to remove it will actually cause complications?
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quote localCivilian:Is it possible to have the mesh removed, even if there are no complications? Would it be easier to remove since it’s still early after surgery?
Also, if anyone has any insight on this, what even happens to mesh later down the road? Does it eventually degrade?
You should find out what type of mesh was used and how much. There are many different types. Some are meant to be absorbed, others are not. The synthetic meshes generally do not degrade. Knowing the details might make you more comfortable, at least you can be more aware of any potential complications. An umbilical repair probably does not see the stresses and strains and folding that an inguinal repair does so that would be in your favor as far as avoiding future problems.
You can probably find a surgeon who will remove it but your insurance company will probably not pay for the procedure.
Why did you decide to have it repaired? If it was small and did not cause problems or pain then “watchful waiting” is what many surgeons would do for their own hernia. Regardless, it’s done now so probably best to leave it as-is unless you have physical problems.
Good luck.
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