No Mesh Hernia Surgeons

[Gary]

If you have family in Ohio, Dr. Grischkan has his own surgery center where he specializes in non-mesh repair of various hernia types. I’ve been researching him myself for an umbilical hernia, although it seems like the mesh is not as much of an issue for umbilical as it is for inguinal so I’m still kinda 50/50 on whether or not to go with the open/mesh repair with a local surgeon.

[muglia]

I’v decided to go with Dr. Yunis with a bilateral open, Shouldice, no mesh for several reasons.

1. If it failed again with a mesh or I had pain and the mesh had to come out, it’s a mess inside. That’s the worst outcome.

2. He’s doing a Shouldice, the gold standard for non-mesh.

3. He’s probably the top in volume in open tissue repairs. Very experienced. He removes lots of mesh.

4. Too many horror stories of life altering pain from mesh to keep track of. When you hear ads on the radio for attorneys looking for clients harmed by mesh you have to eliminate it as an option.

5. Open recovery is longer, but if mesh goes bad, it’s life changing pain that was self inflicted. We have a choice.

6. I find it difficult to understand how people select a surgeon based on location. I’ll be traveling across the country to see Dr. Yunis. Picking any surgeon is one of most important choices you can make in life.

7. Don’t be convinced by the doctor that his way is the best way. They have big egos and think they walk on water. Research the technique. If going mesh, Google lawsuits for the doctor mesh choice

8. Second choice would be Dr. Kang or Shouldice Clinic. A place that specializes in hernias and does thousands of them.

9. Google images of removed hernia mesh.

• This reply was modified 5 days, 14 hours ago by  muglia.

[Steve]

My thoughts exactly. Outside US, there is Dr. Koch in Germany as well. Shouldice Clinic, I am not comfortable with the fact that a) you do not know what surgeon will be assigned to you and b) they cut the cremaster muscle and some nerves in the procedure. Dr. Yunis preserves everything, nerves & muscle.

[muglia]

I just consulted with Dr. Nguyen for a repair of a Bassini repair performed by Dr. Brown in 2013.

He recommended using the Divinci with Phasix, which is absorbable.

I spoke to Dr. Yunis recently and he said Phasix is a joke. If the mesh literally gone in 12-18 months, you have nothing left except scar tissue. Dr. Nguyen never mentioned doing a no-mesh. He seems pretty happy with his Divinci/Phasix factory.

Yunis said the only way to go, mesh-less is Sholdice or a maybe a Darsada if it’s small.

Yunis has seen it all, he’s the guys you want to remove the mesh when it goes wrong.

Looking back, as a former Olympic athlete with a bilaterial inguinal hernia, I should have gone to Shouldice in Canada.

Dr. Brown’s repair just wasn’t durable enough.

• This reply was modified 6 days ago by  muglia.

[Sammy]

Thanks to everyone for the feedback. I’m looking for a US-based provider, since long flights are difficult for me due to chronic spine/nerve issues (in addition to the hernia). Does anyone have experience with the following surgeons:

-Dr. Todd S. Harris (Newport Beach, CA): He seems to do more laparoscopic with mesh, but his Website says he does no-mesh. He’s in my insurance network (Anthem BCBS PPO), so that’s appealing.

-Dr. Jonathan Yunis (Sarasota, FL): He seems to be very well known and does mesh and no-mesh. He’s not in my network, so don’t know the cost. Reviews seem to be very positive. I’m going to call on Monday to get more info.

-Dr. David Grischkan (Cleveland, OH): He does exclusively Shouldice repairs, but I’ve read people having issues with his billing and pricing, so it’s a little concerning.

[Steve]

I talked with Dr. Yunis office when I scheduled my appt. He does not take insurance for the surgery, but the CT Scan lab and the anesthesiologist he uses do.

[ed]

not sure but i am posting this again in case you don’t see my other post but Dr Nguyen does do both mesh and non mesh. he knows at least 5 or 6 different no mesh techniques too. he is in Los Gatos , near san jose. i got phasix mesh from him a year ago and have not had any issues with it .

[Herniated]

The Shouldice Hospital is having a free mobile clinic in Vancouver, Canada in December. If you can wait it might be worth the drive to discuss your hernia repair options with them. But… keep in mind that your return trip would expose you to the US border agents and the attendant risks these days. Good luck!

https://shouldice.com/mobile-exam-clinics/

shouldice.com

Mobile Exam Clinics - Shouldice Hernia Hospital

Mobile Exam Clinics - Shouldice Hernia Hospital

[Steve]

Good Intentions, who would you go to in US for a no-mesh inguinal hernia repair?

• This reply was modified 3 weeks, 6 days ago by  Steve.

[Good intentions]

It would depend on the type and size of hernia. I’d probably start over with researching what the various surgeons are doing these days. There are surgeons out there, not well known, like Todd Ponsky, who uses a non-mesh technique for indirect hernias. His specialty is pediatric surgery but he has repaired adults. He would probably also know of the various non-mesh techniques since he is not married to mesh like most of today’s surgeons.

It’s still a major challenge to make the choice. Surgeons have given up trying to find a better repair method. Their focus is on speed of the procedure and disclosure, to displace liability. Mesh has taken complete control. The device makers have shouldered the burden of the lawsuits, since they have the money for the lawyers. Surgeons don’t have to worry about that aspect anymore as long as the disclosure forms get signed. And as they look around they see that “everybody is doing it” so it feels okay to use mesh on everyone. It’s the “best” that is available to them, even though they know that it’s not really good enough.

My cynicism has not diminished. The mesh situation blends in with much of what is happening in society today. There’s still hope though. You just have to put in a lot of effort.

Honestly, I would go to South Korea to have any hernia repaired. Dr. Kang uses a “tailored” approach, apparently,, meaning that he assesses each hernia individually, and applies what he believes to be the best method of repair for that situation. Even Shouldice surgeons uses a conveyor belt type approach, as I understand things. Each repair is the same, and meant to do more than just repair the hernia that they see, but also to prevent any type of future hernia. They do more than is necessary, from what I’ve read.

Make sure that you get a good consultation before you make a decision. Unfortunately, surgeons have to “make the sale” in order to keep their practices going so it might be hard to get an honest opinion without offending, plus a typical consultation only pays 15 minutes to the surgeon if it’s billed to insurance. Not much time answer your questions so take a written list with you. And take charge of the conversation. It will probably be uncomfortable. I wish that I had a more straighforward answer. Good luck.

[Steve]

I have a direct inguinal hernia and I was also looking for a no-mesh surgeons. From all the research I’ve done here and on other sites, there are about 3-4 hernia experts in US with a good track record in Shouldice repair. In my case, I will see dr. Yunis in Florida. I wouldn’t want to travel to Korea or Germany (where there a few Shouldice experts as well). I prefer a US solution, in case there are post-op issues to be addressed.

[Good intentions]

Here are some of the old threads about Gibbeum Hospital.

https://herniatalk.com/forums/topic/my-inguinal-hernia-surgery-experience-with-dr-kang-in-gibbeum-hospital-south-k/

https://herniatalk.com/forums/topic/dr-kang-gibbeum-hospital-stephen-kwon-and-more-review/

https://herniatalk.com/forums/topic/non-mesh-with-dr-kang-in-korea-journal-updates/

[Good intentions]

Finally, since you’re on the west coast apparently, Dr. Kang of the Gibbeum Hospital might be worth a look. That is where I woudl go if I had a recurrence. People say that the experience is easier than expected, despite the language difficulties. You can find instructions on the forum with detailed suggestions.

https://gibbeum.com/main/main.php

gibbeum.com

Gibbeum Hospital

Gibbeum Hospital

[Good intentions]

Here is Dr. Brown’s web site. His practice was acquired by Dr. Nguyen. Dr. Nguyen did not change much on the web site, so it’s not clear what type of repair he uses. I think that I’ve seen that he likes the absorbable meshes, but the web site still shows no-mesh repair.

I don’t know if the reference to Dr. Nguyen in Los Altos refers to the Dr. Nguyen in Los Gatos.

https://herniatalk.com/forums/topic/hernia-surgeons-using-phasix/

https://www.sportshernia.com/no-mesh-hernia-repair

[Good intentions]

Dr. Billing might. He mentioned that he would do a no-mesh repair for me if I had a recurrence after mesh removal (I have not, since removal seven+ years ago). Apparently he does robotic surgery now. I have not corresponded with him since about five years ago. He does not advertise much for hernia repair but he does do them and he has a word-of-mouth reputation for mesh removal. He is a great guy, definitely worth contacting. He is in the Seattle area of Washington.

https://www.transformweightloss.com/meet-our-team/

https://www.transformweightloss.com/weight-loss-solutions/hernia/

[Steve]

Here is the list of surgeons I found who currently do no-mesh repair in US: Dr Yunis, Dr Sbayi, Dr Reinhorn, Dr Fronza, Dr Towfigh, Dr Nakhjo, Dr Iskandar, Dr. Tomas. A very small list. I think only Dr. Towfigh is on the West Coast.

• This reply was modified 4 weeks ago by  Steve.

[ed]

my Dr. Nguyen definitely does no mesh repair. and he knows at least 5 or 6 different techniques. he said he makes that decision when he does the operation. he is in Los Gatos. near San Jose ca

[muglia]

I just consulted with Dr. Nguyen for a repair of a Bassini repair performed by Dr. Brown in 2013.

He recommended using the Divinci with Phasix, which is absorbable.

I spoke to Dr. Yunis recently and he said Phasix is a joke. If the mesh literally gone in 12-18 months, you have nothing left except scar tissue. Dr. Nguyen never mentioned doing a no-mesh. He seems pretty happy with his Divinci/Phasix factory.

Yunis said the only way to go, mesh-less is to perform a Sholdice or a maybe a Darsada if it’s small.

Yunis has seen it all, he’s the guys you want to remove the mesh when it goes wrong.

Looking back, as a former Olympic athlete with a bilaterial inguinal hernia, I should have gone to Shouldice in Canada.

Dr. Brown’s repair just wasn’t durable enough.

Also Google Phasix law suits – thousands of lawsuits
allege defects in the mesh led to complications such as pain, infection,
bowel obstruction, and organ damage. This settlement is expected to result in total payouts possibly exceeding $1 billion to victims.

In regard to mesh, ss patients, we are stuck in the middle because the surgeons are not responsible for the liability as we sign away the right to sue them, the mesh and robot companies are taking on all the liability so the surgeons keep pushing their speedy factory repairs. It’s not in their best interest to fight back. People want faster recovery times and don’t do the research and weigh the risks of life altering pain from failed mesh. Imagine a piece of plastic window screen, about 6″ x 8″ installed in your belly and your cells and nerves grow inside the openings and then for some reason, it shifts or folds in half and it hits other major nerves and possible damages all the nerves needed to get an erection and climax. Then eventually, all that organic and plastic screen has to be removed because of the life-altering pain. What do you do at that point?

• This reply was modified 6 days ago by  muglia.
• This reply was modified 6 days ago by  muglia.
• This reply was modified 6 days ago by  muglia.
• This reply was modified 5 days, 23 hours ago by  muglia.

[ed]

well i guess i am lucky so far . i had Dr Nguyen do the repair with phasix over a year ago . He said he has been using phasix for 5 years now and had very little issues with it.

i spoke to him the other day about the hernia on my other side and he said he could do no mesh repair or mesh repair . whatever i wanted. appreciate your comments.

• This reply was modified 5 days, 12 hours ago by  ed.
• This reply was modified 5 days, 12 hours ago by  ed.

[Steve]

This is very helpful. Did you decide what surgeon and what method are you going to pursue now?