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Permanent suture pain
Has anyone had pain from a permanent suture?
I had an incarcerated femoral hernia with mesh surgery 6 months ago. I am finally feeling ok from it. The problem is near my belly button. The doctor found a small hernia there and decided to remove it and suture it…no mesh. Within a week of surgery I had a swelling which he said was a seroma. He attempted to drain it at 8 days post op and nothing drained. He said it had solidified but the body would reabsorb it in 3-6 months.
I alwya felt a tightness there and tenderness with pain when doing too much. I went back at the 4 month mark and he felt the hardness and thought it might have incapsulated. . He said to give it a little more time but gave me a script for a CT scan to do whenever I though I needed to. I waited another 2 months hit the pain when leaning forward or backward from any position…putting strain on those muscles around the belly button caused pain and soreness.
I finally did the CT scan and got a call yesterday that the report was negative for hernia reoccurance and seroma. Everything looked fine.
I told the secretary that I was actually in my way over and to review with the doctor and that I had an appoin -
24 Replies
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After reading so many stories, I see many people end up having more than one surgery for a hernia repair which makes me wonder why they don’t test the people for allergies or sensitivity to the materials used before surgery. It would certainly avoid a lot of physical pains.I think some people would choose to consult a , but I think it is not necessary. I can’t believe it took people so long to get back to customer for a new surgical date. they’ve been calling since last week and finally got a date today Friday! maybe they were punishing me for cancelling…but I would have been turned away from the anesthesiologist if I showed up for the surgery.
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So glad you finally got that darn bothering suture out! Usually, we just take out the suture and don’t do anything else. There may be a hernia recurrence in the future, but odds are you will do just fine.
If you have a small fluid collection in the area of the operation, that usually resolves on its own.
Congratulations!!
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I saw the surgeon yesterday for my post op visit. It was 11 days since my surgery. There was still a small
awelling around the belly button. He said the pathology report showed fibrous tissue around the suture. I guess
that was the reaction I was having. He also felt the swelling and this time it definitely was a small seroma. It feels soft and squishy. If I contract my belly muscles near the belly button it pops out more. Really weird. Anyway, he attempt to drain it but only got the the tiniest about of fluid out. To me
it looked like 1 cc pinkish red liquid in the syringe. He said that it was probably multiloculated. He tried moving the needle around to different areas but nothing else came out. Today it looks a lot better but still
ibvious. He told me to wear a compression panty like a spanx. I am just praying it is NOT another hernia! Maybe I am just having anxiety. waiting it out. He said to return in4 months….unless there’s a problem. Oh well….I’m glad that pulling pain is gone!!! He gave me clearance to go in the pool so I am resting and swimming today!Dr Towfigh….in case you are reading this… any thoughts? Once he removed the permanent sutures that were causing me pain he did not put any temporary sutures or mesh in. He said it healed ok. It was tiny to begin with and I had absolutely no pain before my surgery in this area. I k i.e. That hernias can recur and I hope he didn’t open a can a worms by removing something that didn’t bother me and I didn’t even know I had! He happens to fin this when he went in to repair my incarcerated femoral
hernia …… ughhhhhh -
Raindrop. What is your next step ?
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It sounds like the worst part is behind you and your main issue got resolved. I still don’t know 100% what I have, but I’m hoping it gets resolved soon. Good luck to you.
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Day 6 post surgical. Still don’t feel the old pulling pain where the sutures were. They were probably tied too tight! My back is feeling the strain drom
nit being able to stand up straight completely yet. I’m still a little hunched. My IBS has acted up too so by last night I looked 8 months pregnant and also distorted from surgical swelling. Today. The bloating is better but I have to be careful. The swelling is obvious and looks a bit freakish. There is a swelling where the removed the sutures …..it almost looks like a small Hernia protruding. Ughhhh I’m sure its just the swelling. I just want I heal already and be done with this nightmare. I hope the end result looks good but more importantly the pain won’t come back. -
Ok so I finally had the surgery on Monday July 3rd. The doctor removed 2 permanent sutures to the right of my belly button. There was also one on the left that he was not able to get to. He said my belly button would have collapsed. Right now I really don’t like the way my bellybutton looks anyway. He removed the sutures and did not place any dissolvable sutures. He said that everything looked fine. he closed my belly button with a glue suture. I know that everything is still very swollen and in time it will go down. But I really do hope that my bellybutton gets back to looking some sort of normal.
on the other hand, the pain issue is better. When I lean forward I no longer feel the pulling that I was having before. Each time I lean forward or lean back I expect to have pulling, tugging and pain …..but it’s not there. So I guess that’s a good thing! It’s only been four days but I’m very hopeful that the pulling will be so much better. I’m just hoping all of the swelling will go down and I’ll have my flat tummy back and my pretty little belly button. Although I know it’s not going to be the same.
Mel -
I keep wondering if I slept wrong too. Did it hurt to stand on one leg as in the leg on the side where the hernia was at? And did it hurt to put heavy things on your lap? Was your pain at all aggravated by pulling heavy doors or lifting heavyish things? Did you ever feel the pinching sensation near the groin crease before the surgery? I agree with you, hernias are no fun. Having pains is no fun. They should teach hernia prevention to people in health classes in school if you ask me.
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I had daily pain especially after a bowel movement. I would have to lay down for hours. The pain was so intense and I became so bloated and swollen. I was told that after each BM it would push the fatty hernia further into the femoral canal. I also had back pain and leg pain. I feel like there is some nerve pain along the border of the mesh but will have to deal with that later. The surgery did help the main problem of pain after BMs! so that’s a plus. Hernia are no fun….and sometimes have to be redone. I hate the fact that I had it in the first place.
Right now the pain is to the right of the belly button where they removed the 2nd hernia. I feel pulling and pain when ever I use my abdominals or lean forward or backward. I hope removing them will resolve that pain.
It’s just a bad day for me….yesterday my lower back started to feel pain and now my back is out! I can barely walk. I didn’t do anything so I think I must have slept wrong because it started after I woke. Also having a lot of IBS/SIBO issues right now and am praying all will settle down for July 3rd. Either way, I am having this surgery…even if they have to bring me to the hospital on a stretcher because of my back. Can’t cancel again!
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July 3rd is coming up. I hope you feel better once they take those sutures out. Keep us posted please. I ask you questions because we are both young, women, and thin. I was wondering what were the symptoms of your femoral hernia? You said you had fat trapped in it, right? I was starting to feel better, but yesterday I over did things, and started with pain a few hours later. I was just standing and not doing anything when my stronger pain began. I think it was a reaction to the stuff I did earlier in the day. Was the pain of your femoral hernia before you got surgery constant or did it come and go? Was it by your labia, leg crease, and knee? Were you able to lean down? Did it hurt to stand on the leg on the side where the hernia was? Did it hurt in your lower abdomen too? Did you have a bulge? I hope your situation gets better soon.
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After much back and forth….I finally got the surgical coordinator to call me back today with a date to have these damn sutures out. At first she told me July 21st which is 4 weeks away and it really took me for a loop. I can’t wait that long! I had surgery scheduled for June 2nd and had to cancel due to illness. The surgery was scheduled in the surgery center. I asked her to check his hospital schedule and she said how about July 3rd. Now that’s better!
So I am finally going to get these sutures out that are causing me so daily pain. I can’t lean forward or back…any abdominal strain pulls on the sutures and causes pain. I can feel the little knots right under the skin near the belly button. I also have some swelling in that area.
I also started to feel pain again when exercising in the pool…doing some bicycle moves with my legs in the deep end and some lunges in the shallow end. but….not just where the sutures are.I feel the pain in the groin where they fixed the femoral hernia. I always had some shooting nerve pain when touching a certain spot in the groin area. I don’t even want to think about that now.If I don’t exercise and I don’t press there it doesn’t hurt. I just want to take care of the suture removal by the belly button and pray it will help. I can re evaluate the femoral area later on and if need be go for a consult with someone else.
I can’t believe it took them so long to get back to me for a new surgical date. I’ve been calling since last week and finally got a date today Friday! maybe they were punishing me for cancelling…but I would have been turned away from the anesthesiologist if I showed up for the surgery. I was just so sick….
Oh well, timing is everything.
mel -
Hi Mela, I was wondering if they told you why they didn’t use dissolvable sutures on your very small hernia in the first place? Is it because they use permanent ones and only use dissolvable one if the permanent ones give trouble? YOu said they said if necessary they would put in a few dissolvable sutures in there. Are they considering not putting anything in there the second time around? After reading so many stories, I see many people end up having more than one surgery for a hernia repair which makes me wonder why they don’t test the people for allergies or sensitivity to the materials used before surgery. It would certainly avoid a lot of physical pains.
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Mela,
I hope you get over your flu soon and that your surgery goes well. Keep us posted. Good luck to you too. -
Raindrop
my femoral hernia was repaired with mesh and tacks. I don’t seem to be having a problem with that. The problem that I am having is with the small hernia they found near the bellybutton. It was so small that they just used a few permanent sutures. That’s where I am having the issue. I had to cancel my procedure yesterday due to a flu. When I am feeling better I will reschedule and do the surgery. I was told that at seven months it should be healed pretty well so they will remove the permanent sutures and if necessary just put a few dissolvable sutures in there. I’m hoping that that will work out better. I still feel tugging and pulling and I’m hoping once those permanent sutures are removed it will remove a lot of the tension and pain. Keeping my fingers crossed. Good luck to you -
I read this and am now wondering which type of sutures they will sew you up with the second time to avoid a reaction to the sutures like the one you had? I’m worried about the materials used when my hernia or hernias get repaired after reading your experience and others on here. I get reactions on my skin to many materials, so ideally I would like dissolvable sutures, but I don’t know if any surgeons use dissolvable sutures to sew up inguinal or femoral hernias? shouldice repair doesn’t leave anything foreign in your body, but I don’t think they perform it on femoral hernias, and from what I read sometimes they won’t know if it is inguinal or femoral until the actual surgery. It would be rough to take an plane and pay for accommodations out of pocket to get a surgery done for a shouldice repair only to find out you need mesh because it is actually a femoral hernia. Can surgeons repair femoral hernias without leaving anything foreign in the body?
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De Towfigh
yes i am thin skinned! Small frame and 90 lbs …so a flat tummy. He put in multiple sutures so hopefully once they are out the pain will subside as well as the pulling. I hope the muscle didn’t heal too tightly and continue to cause pain. Only getting them out and giving it time will tell.
Thanks
mel -
Sounds like your surgeon is right on and the suture needs to be removed. Sometimes if you can have thin skin (literally, not figuratively) :p and can feel the knots from the suture, then that can cause your symptoms. Removal is relatively simple.
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I experienced severe pain exactly one year following my operation. After months of deliberation and research, I decided to pursue legal action. Not sure how things will turn out but remaining hopeful for now.
I found some info at the link posted below. I’ll keep everyone updated on my experience with the legal process if interested.
Hernia Mesh Complications | Free Case Consultation!
http://herniameshlawsuit.org
Hernia Mesh Complications – Are you suffering from complications caused by a hernia mesh implantation? You may be entitled to compensation. Contact us now! -
Saw the surgeon. He felt the knotted sutures coming up towards the surface. Scheduled surgery remove the surgery June 2. Should be better from this virus by then.
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I had to cancel be use of illness. Bad virus and still recovering. Going to see the surgeon again tomorrow for exam and reschedule surgery.
Has anyone else had this ?
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