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Resistant Bacteria Biofilm infections, a slow burn…
It has recently become apparent through scans & imaging, that over the last 2 yrs since my mesh was implanted, I’ve lost between 20-30% of my abdominal wall muscles in certain areas. This was noted by a surgeon & has definitely concerned me. I have had multiple attempts at controlling chronic low level deep/subcutaneous infections in the trocar site(epigastrium) by different practitioners over the 2 yrs as well since I had an infection & subsequent drainage(cultured Staph & Strep) from the surgery. These included: Bactrim, Cephalexin, Ceftriaxone(shot), Dicloxicillin(made me feel 10 times worse so told to discontinue after 3 days use) & finally Topical Mupirocin cream for skin Staph infection. After the last 2 of these treatments the bacteria & subsequent burning pain, discolored skin(purple bruising on abdomen), small carbuncles/folliculitis & fevers returned with a vengeance.
So my question is what can a mesh patient do(while waiting for surgery) to keep these low level but chronic & possibly poly-resistant infections at bay?
These seem to be part of a biofilm since proteolytic enzyme formulas & biofilm busting supplements provide very temporary relief only for it to build back up again after stopping.
A website online touted garlic as a homeopathic natural treatment for Staph, so I’ve been eating garlic cloves for days…
Anyone else have these issues & what have you found to work or atleast help for the interim?
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7 Replies
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Once the infected mesh is removed, the rest of your body will help rid the infection, with antibiotics, now that there is no foreign body. Deformities that are there may still remain. Depends on the reason for the deformity.
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I can hardly wait for my removal which is very soon finally thank god.
So what happens after the chronically low-grade infected mesh is removed from the abdominal wall?
Do the abdominal muscles that were lost to infection grow back ever?
My upper six-pack muscles are caved in and substantially worse on one side more then the other at this point…
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There is such a thing as a chronic low grade infection of mesh. It does not present as obviously as acute infection. Tends to present with pain, swelling, low grade fevers, fatigue, joint pain, headaches, chronic fatigue.
Treatment can include longterm antibiotics and/or mesh removal.
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Almost feels like it’s burning a hole through my stomach with searing warm pain, redness/cellulitis & upper six pack muscles thinning/caving in(slightly but noticeably) over time… I’ve been told to take the Cephalexin as it was prescribed(by a nurse practitioner), however while this may temporarily help it may also only worsen things after the course is complete if the mesh is still there.
I know, I probably need my umbilical mesh removed immediately. Of course this would happen right before the biggest hernia surgeon’s conference of the year too, so everyone’s out of the office for most of march unfortunately…
Any surgical advice would be greatly appreciated, could I make it til April or does sooner intervention sound necessary?
Is Cephalexin ok to keep something like this stable until then?
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Beginning immediately post-op I had tremors & a fever(which I reported to my implanting surgeon) that progressed to drainage at 1 month so I begged my surgeon to remove it but even though the culture came back Staph & Strep, he said it wasn’t anything serious like MRSA so he gave me Bactrim & refused to remove it. The Bactrim seemed to help until the drainage(trocar site) healed over but it’s always been inflamed w burning pain at times in there. It’s never a fever above 101 so it’s never regarded as an emergency.
This is why I feel like it’s more localized or lying dormant in a biofilm in the mesh, over time it’s caused damage though which has now become apparent as localized tissue loss. I am awaiting removal now by another surgeon out of state & feel foolish that I didn’t do it sooner but my local implanting surgeon has always refused to remove it, saying instead: “if it was infected there would be fluid around the mesh, you don’t have that”, he has since refused to do anything more for me saying he will never remove it at this point.
I’m just wondering if fluid around the mesh is the only indication of mesh infection for every patient always?
I mean maybe my body responds to infection differently then most… For some reason my temperature goes down drastically sometimes during these bouts then way up(Oscillating from as low as 96.2 at one point to as high as 100.6). It just concerns me to hear the words “that’s not possible”, since anything is possible & mesh infection was never studied in my body before this mesh was implanted in me. So who’s to say what’s possible or not.
I also feel like all the Nurse Practitioners & Physician Assistants don’t understand this resistance phenomenon with mesh(or know much of mesh complications at all) because their solution is always to just hand out antibiotics like candy.
Its like no one talks about it but aren’t there other patients facing this dilemma too?
(btw I don’t mean to whine too much or rant & thankyou for your replies/advice)
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Do you have an infection after hernia repair with mesh? Any foreign body (mesh or suture) must be surgically removed.
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So sorry you are going through this. I know that garlic is a pretty potent antibacterial. When is your surgery scheduled?
I am having issues at 4 months post femoral hernia surgery and am at my wits end. What type of hernia did you have? Will they be removing the mesh?
All the best to you.
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