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[Frederick]

Dr. Towfigh,
I believe I am suffering from a hernia. It has been a long battle. Today I saw a General Surgeon and he could not feel a hernia. He wants me to have a CT scan. I told him of my research and ask about doing a MRI with a Valsalva maneuver. He told me that he didn’t like doing that because it would be hard for a person to hold the strain. I also ask about doing an Ultrasound. He said it would be his last choice. I don’t feel like the CT is going to show anything and I am thinking I might cancel the scan. I want to find a doctor to diagnose my problem. Can you recommend anyone in Mississippi? I saw that you are a member of the American Hernia Society. There is a doctor in my area & I have put a call into their office asking if he has ever diagnosed a hidden hernia in a female. I am waiting for a call back.

[drtowfigh]

Recommendations

Hi and thanks for your post.

Our paper will be coming out soon, as it is published in JAMA Surgery. So, then you can share it with your general surgeon.
MRI pelvis with valsalva would be the most sensitive study. Ultrasound may also be helpful if done by a skilled radiologist, with a lot of maneuvering, pushing in and out, etc. CT scan is less likely than all of these to provide an answer. But perhaps it will show…!

Unfortunately, the concept of hidden hernias is not widely known.

I do not know of any surgeons in Mississippi who are hernia specialists. If you find one, and you are happy with their performance, please share on this discussion board. Nearby, you can try nearby states:

Tennessee: Drs. Ben Poulose, Greg Mancini, Guy Voeller.
Louisiana: Karl LeBlanc, David Treen, Charles Belllows

Good luck, and please let us know how you do.

[Author]

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