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Seeking Advice for Chronic Pain
Hi everyone. Here is my (too long) story. I have no idea what to do at this point. I would appreciate any input anybody might have.
My History:
-January 2015: Laparoscopic bilateral inguinal hernia repair w/ mesh. I believe he used TEP approach and secured with metal tacks.After surgery, I start having extremely sharp pains up at my sides. I can’t stand up straight. Forced to shuffle around slowly, hunched over with a cane. I ask the surgeon about it and he tells me something probably just got irritated so I’ll just wait and see.
Over the next 3-4 weeks, the sharp pain slowly goes away but I’m left with a different kind of pain. I have areas of pain on my sides about waist level, which run down across my abdomen between belly button and hip level (Imagine a U-shape). Half the time I might forget about it (Maybe I’ve gotten used to it), but if I ever press on the area or stretch it by bending backwards/side to side, then I feel a decent amount of pain. There are definitely little spots which hurt more than others. One on each side about waist level and at least another pair about 1-2 to each side of the belly button. I can also feel something small and hard under the belly button incision and it hurts a lot to press there also.
-June 2015: At this point it definitely isn’t getting any better so I go back to the surgeon. I have a abdominal/pelvic CT done which shows nothing. Doctor thinks it’s muscular and sends me to PT. I see the PT a few times and she tells me she doesn’t think it’s muscular and she can’t help me.
At this point nobody is any help so I guess I’ll just have to live with it.
-November 2016: Skip ahead over a year later. I’m recovering from knee arthroscopy so I’ve been doing light PT for a month now (Stationary bike, stretches, leg lifts). I start feeling really sore on my upper inner thigh, going up the groin to the inguinal region. I’m thinking I maybe pulled a muscle or something so I start icing and eating ibuprofen like candy, but it gets even worse. Now my whole pelvic/groin region hurts/feels inflamed and my previous abdominal/side pain is worse and hurts almost all the time.
I end up going back to see the surgeon because I have the sensation that it’s mesh related. He says he doesn’t feel a hernia. Tells me to try Dicyclomine for 2 weeks. It doesn’t help so he sends me to a pain clinic.
Pain doctor gives me some Gabapentin, Celecoxib, and Tramadol. Orders bunch of blood tests, urinalysis, abdominal/pelvic CT, and a lumbar MRI. Comes back pretty unremarkable and the medications don’t really help.
Current Status:
-Groin hurts 24/7. Right side is worse. Pain worse with standing, moving, lifting leg.
-Oftentimes pain in bladder area when urinating. (Had this similar pain for about a month after surgery)
-Pelvic area often feels hot, inflamed, burning sensation.
-Abdominal/Side pain hurts more often now compared to before. I don’t even need to press on or stretch the area for it to hurt. Very tender spots still there.I’m also hoping someone can refer me to a doctor that could help. I’m in Austin, TX but I’ll travel to Mars if I have to. Thanks.
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7 Replies
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My out of town Patients are usually allowed to fly home after 24 hours. Preferably, I’d like them to stay a few days so that I can re examine them before they leave.
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Hernia and groin related symptoms can cause pain that radiates to the flanks and lower back. Hip problems can do the same. It’s usually not a nerve issue.
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Thanks for the input everyone. What I don’t understand is the pain on my sides. The surgeon told me it’s nowhere near where he operated. I’m also wondering if I should maybe ask the pain clinic to try a nerve block. Though they haven’t suggested it so maybe they don’t do that or don’t think it will help.
I’m definitely leaning towards traveling to get a consult with one of those doctors sometime soon, but I need to figure out the logistics of that. How long would I have to stay if I did end up needing surgery? I’d love to hear about anyone’s past experience. Thanks!
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Hey there Maximus. I had the same surgery as you in 2015 and I gave myself a year to heal to no prevail. I had a CT scan to try to find out the problem and the tacks the surgeon used to fixate the mesh were going into my symphysis pubis causing terrible pain along with mesh pain. My pain was worse left than the right and I also had burning sensations going to the bathroom after the surgery to, I thought I had a UTI and my family doctor told me my immune system was very low. If you are having burning pains and numbness it most likely is nerve related because the mesh does irritate nerves. Mesh causes inflammation to, it can be entrapped nerves, the tacks can cause a very bad amount of pain I don’t know why they use them damn things or even the mesh.
Also the tacks are probably causing pain especially when you are moving around as you stated because they are poking into you. The Ct scan should have showed where the tacks are and what they are doing. Also the doctors start throwing patients to one another simply because they do not know what to do or how to help. Definitely search for a hernia specialist on American hernia society and look in texas. There is also Dr. Towfigh in California, Dr. Ramshaw in Tennessee, Igor Belyansky in Maryland that has been doing a lot of Mesh and tack removals lately check out his youtube videos. Just search around and do some research on mesh and fixations like tacks to get some info for yourself also.
Best of luck Maximus!
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Your situation is a bit complicated and really requires a surgeon to carefully get a detailed history, review your images to confirm they weren’t misread, and examine you with a few things in mind:
1. How many tacks did you have put in? Are the areas of your pain related to the tacks? Too many tacks can either individually cause pain or can cause muscle spasm
2. Did you have a tight repair? In other words, is the mesh placed too tightly, not allowing you to stretch backwards? Mesh shrinks, so if it is already placed too tightly, then once it starts to shrink, it can be even tighter, hence the pain and/or hunching down.
3. Where is the mesh as compared to your bladder? Is it laying on the bladder, causing symptoms?Sorry that I don’t know anyone in Texas to help you. I just operated on 3 patients from Texas this month for mesh-related problems.
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I would s arch this site for a hernia specialist in your ar and go for a second opinion. Maybe dr Towfigh can r commend someone.
Wishing you well
mel -
I feel your pain, i had small fat containing left inguinal hernia in 2016 with mesh, welp i noticed pain right after i went back to work a month later so i had a another MRI done after surgery and the results came back as the same thing so i had to have another operation 3 months later. Surgeon stated the mesh had folded and was floating not only that he felt the need that i needed a triple neurectomy all 3 nerves cut which has caused me so so much pain near my genitals which i just found out if a surgeron peforms that procedure the mesh must be removed according to SAGES. Had a ANA (auto immune) test done last week and it came back positive which means my body is fighting againist this mesh aka {mess}. Try castor oil along your abdomen.
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