-
Post Inguinal Hernia repair leg pain
I have been having leg pain for over a year after my inguinal hernia repair. Went to several Dr.’s and no one can diagnose the problem. None of the Dr.’s are focusing on the hernia repair as the cause. Had nerve tests and MRI’s everything turned out negative. Dr. wants to try cortisone shots in my L2 and L3 nerves coming off my spine. Doesn’t seem to much of a down side to try. Has anyone tried cortisone shots and was it successful?
-
13 Replies
-
I agree with Dr Towfigh that lateral thigh pain is probably the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve.
I pray that it improves with time. The nerve can be injected as it passes under the inguinal ligation. An injection sometimes provides relief.
Regards.
Bill Brown MD
-
Outer thigh is usually lateral femorocutaneous nerve issue. That can be injured or irritated with laparoscopic or robotic hernia repair with mesh. Less often with open repairs.
-
7 weeks post op and mybirning numbness onto outer thigh has changed to a numbness above my knee. The PA said the inflammation around the nerves can cause this and chances are it would subside in about 3 months.
-
quote BobbyO:DrBrown, I had open Inguinal Hernia surgery in 2016. Pain started 2017, Second surgery 2018 for the pain but didn’t help. The pain level and area varies from day to day. Walking and exercise irritates it. It can be in the groin and inner thigh one day, the knee the next day, outer thigh the next day, sometime down to my ankle. When it is bad I cannot put weight on the leg and it feels like a sprain in my groin. Trying a Cortisone shot in the L2 and L3 nerve on Wednesday.
How was your experience with the cortisone shot and did it help with your groin pain and leg pain?
Have you had a nerve block or cortisone injection targeting the groin nerves and did that have any impact?
Please keep us updated on your case and progress, thanks.
-
Dear Vegas.
From your description, your pain is probably related to the ilioinguinal nerve. You can try capsaicin or lidocaine cream. The creams can sometimes help. A nerve block is often helpful. Neurotonin is occasionally helpful, but most people do not like the side effects. If you have mesh, then the mesh can be injected with local anesthetic.
An Ultrasound can check for a recurrent hernia.
Regards.
Bill Brown MD -
[USER=”2580″]DrBrown[/USER] , the surgical report says the ilioinguinal nerve was “seen coursing inferiorly to the inguinal canal and was preserved inferiorly”. Up until the burning, the only pain issue that’s been constant was the testicular pain, specifically it has been uncomfortable at the top/rear..any pressure is uncomfortable.
Over the past few days the pain has changed…originally it was burning a couple inches to the side of the incision, now the pain is most noticeable between the incision and my testicle. Hurts the most when I get up from sitting/laying down, lasts a couple minutes, then subsides.
Have an appointment next week with my surgeon to followup. If it gets worse before then I’m tempted to visit my GP.
[USER=”2618″]BobbyO[/USER] , thank you for starting this thread…how have you been doing?
-
Dear VegasHernia.
The pain that you have is most likely related to a nerve.
Was your nerve cut at the time of the hernia repair? If so, neuromas occur about 6 months later and could explain your pain.
If you are lucky, the pain will resolve on its own. Try Capsaicin cream. A steroid injection often helps. Nerve ablation or neurectomy may be needed if conservative measure fail.
Regards.
Bill Brown MD -
I came to post a similar question and update my original thread. I’ve had pain above my testicle since my inguinal (recurrent) hernia was repaired in November. Comes and goes, irritating more than anything. Since a week ago, I have a pretty strong burning a couple inches to the side of my open repair. Skin is sensitive, burns like hell when I get up. Area had been numb…possibly things just “waking up”?
-
Dear BobbyO
Pain that occurs in multiple locations make diagnosis more difficult.
Pain on the inner thigh and scrotum is often related to the ilioinguinal nerve.
Pain on the outer thigh can be the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve.
When the nerves are involved, the skin often feels numb, burning, tingling.
Pain with walking could be the hip joint and sometimes the adductor.
So it is very important to identify what areas give you the most trouble.
Regards.
Bill Brown MD -
Good intentions, I am assuming the specific information will be in the surgeons report. I will contact them for copies.
-
Hello BobbyO. I think that Dr. Brown is looking for as much detail as you can supply. You haven’t said if the open repair used mesh or if it was a “pure tissue” repair. You didn’t describe how much mesh was used, if it was, or what type. No details on what was done for the second operation. Did they cut some nerves, or just take a look? The answer is in the details, I think.
If you don’t know, you should get your medical records quickly. There are hundreds of different ways to repair a hernia.
-
DrBrown, I had open Inguinal Hernia surgery in 2016. Pain started 2017, Second surgery 2018 for the pain but didn’t help. The pain level and area varies from day to day. Walking and exercise irritates it. It can be in the groin and inner thigh one day, the knee the next day, outer thigh the next day, sometime down to my ankle. When it is bad I cannot put weight on the leg and it feels like a sprain in my groin. Trying a Cortisone shot in the L2 and L3 nerve on Wednesday.
-
Dear BobbyO
What type of hernia repair did you have?
Where is the pain? Inner thigh? Outer thigh?
Does the pain feel deep or in the skin?
Do you have a photo with marks on the skin that identify the sites of your pain?
Regards.
Bill Brown MD
Log in to reply.