Pain Running Down Leg

[Good intentions]

quote BobbyO:

It has been 8 weeks since the corrective surgery. Do you think I should wait 3,4,5 months to let things heal more before going to another Dr.?
How would you know if the mesh should be removed?

It probably depends on if the type of pain is different or the same. If it’s the same then the last surgery didn’t really do anything. So you’re really on the 2 year time-frame. I had two laparoscopy procedures within one month. There’s no reason to wait if the pain is the same.

That’s why I suggested finding a very experienced hernia repair surgeon. They will recognize the symptoms and won’t rely so much on the mechanized diagnostic tools, like imaging.

It sounds like the doctors you’ve seen don’t want to consider that the mesh could be the problem. I think that it’s best to have a surgeon that will consider all possibilities and choose the one that is best for you.

I am not a medical doctor, just a guy who had a by-the-book standard of care mesh repair that my body would not accept.

[Unknown Member]

Good Intentions and Chaunce1234 thank you for you reply.I will try to find out more information on the type of mesh used and if any nerves were cut.

Does anyone know of a good “Old Head” hernia Dr. in New Jersey?

It has been 8 weeks since the corrective surgery. Do you think I should wait 3,4,5 months to let things heal more before going to another Dr.?
How would you know if the mesh should be removed?

[Chaunce1234]

I’m sorry you’re going through this.

Is the pain the same or different from before the surgery? Have you had any nerve block / steroid injections, and if so what was the effect? Does advil make a dent in the pain?

It would be a good idea to find out more information about the original surgery, and the follow-up surgery. What type of mesh was used, were any nerves cut, etc.

If pain is mostly in your leg, perhaps you have some ongoing lateral femoral nerve irritation or compression, though a skilled doctor would be much better at having an idea of what is going on.

Pain specialists can certainly be very helpful for managing pain, so that would be a worthwhile avenue to pursue regardless of what else you choose. Preferably you will want to find a pain specialist with specific experience dealing with the particular type of pain you are having.

You might as well reach out to the original surgeon first and see what they say, and what (if any) experience they have with this kind of issue, and how it was (or wasn’t) resolved. Depending on your location you may have a hernia expert nearby you could consult with too, otherwise you may have to travel.

Good luck and keep us updated on your case.

[Good intentions]

I would find an “old head” hernia repair surgeon, a surgeon who has lots of experience with open mesh repairs and also removes mesh if it’s a problem. I think that there are essentially two classes of hernia repair surgeons – those who follow the guidelines and instructions and training to the letter but don’t know what to do when there are problems, and those who really understand how things work and what they’re doing with the mesh when they make the repair. It’s that way in many fields. Profession as opposed to expertise.

It might be that you had mesh shrinkage that is pulling on surrounding tissue. Can you give more detail on the material used? Heavy/light, plug, one of the odd unique designs? And type of hernia, direct or indirect. There might be a clue there. After seven weeks the healing should be pretty far along.

Don’t spend too much time trying to stay inside your insurance system either. Your choices will be limited. Post your general location and somebody might have a good surgeon in mind. Good luck.