Alephy

Thanks for the answer! I was kind of wondering whether the peritoneum divided areas of the body that might behave differently, but I guess not from the inflammation point of view….

It would be interesting to know how much it costs (I mean a standard surgery) and whether she is always leading the surgery or (more likely) her team takes over most of the time….

Hi James,

One thing to bear in mind is that the vast majority of hernia surgeries are done with mesh, so the tissue repairs numbers are very small, and therefore the number of complications even smaller as a result…

There is a human component to the problem, as well as a “system” that got funnelled in place by the market and the need to streamline these types of surgeries (e.g. population is getting older and older so you will see more and more hernias).

For the human component, surgeons are educated/taught in a certain way i.e. mostly mesh (and the young…[Read more]

Hi James,

The way I see it, it is not so much why they use mesh: what really makes me wonder is why many doctors (this is true I believe) would talk about mesh as a very safe, secure and complications free medical device. There are situations where mesh is the best option, and I would even be inclined to acknowledge that a doctor might not know…[Read more]

The knee comparison is a good one. Know that in the 70s/80s surgeons still believed that the meniscus was a relic of evolution and that did not play any role -> after an injury they often suggested full removal: it is not needed (they said) and you will be perfectly fine without it (they argued).
It is with this historical view that you should…[Read more]

I bet in 20 years or so they will find out that for small hernias proper PT might just work fine…so much for the mantra that surgery is the only way….(hopefully not the famous last words for me, in case I end up under the knife:)

ps: who among the doctors in this forum did actually get an hernia and a mesh/pure tissue surgery to fix…[Read more]

I asked this very question in an old post, and was told that this would not be such a bad idea, but that the the financial cost would be much higher and therefore people don’t do it…

The way I see it, the ultimate mesh would foster healthy tissue regrowth, as opposed to scar tissue, and eventually disappear. Some meshes apparently have this property, with a bunch of unwanted side effected unfortunately…It seems no “device” can do better than our body, so we might as well accept that and try to make our body fix the problem…[Read more]

I wonder, are these data specific for incisional/complex hernias? From the small reading I did it seems as though 20% recurrence rate in this case is understood to be expected…the Italian study even concluded positively in considering the Phasix mesh a valid alternative.
I guess my question is: could these meshes be an alternative for…[Read more]

In fact, on the same line, is recurrence then a potential problem for those who had their mesh implants removed (because of chronic pain etc) i.e. are they at higher risk with time? I cannot quite understand some statements whereby when the mesh is removed the scar tissue left is strong enough to stop future hernias, but somehow the same does not…[Read more]

If you are in an emergency, you might try and find an older surgeon who did use a non mesh technique in the old days…..the other option would be to find one that uses a “normal” mesh…

These days online consultations are also an option (although I am with you when it comes to claiming back expenses, especially after a surgery)…

I also think that exercising with an hernia is mostly ok, and in fact I would argue it should be recommended! Movement will keep the body healthy in general and prevent other problems…
There are many (among doctors) who claim exercising will make an hernia worse, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was in fact the opposite….at the very least it…[Read more]

I also read not so long ago of a new 3d mesh that allows for healthy tissue regrowth (no scar tissue). I am wondering if 3d meshes are coming back somehow, without the terrible side effects of the first ones hopefully…

Hi Katherine,

I read you. There are very many different meshes, and sure enough the wrong one used for the wrong procedure is likely to break havoc….I am wondering now if the meshes people have been talking about for hernia repair that get reabsorbed, do indeed leave behind something (I was under the impression that they were designed to…[Read more]

Hi Katherine,

I live in Europe, and I also have a constraining health insurance so options are limited…

ps:
If I myself decided to go for a mesh repair, I would definitely go for one that gets absorbed completely ie it disappears as it causes less inflammation (according to the studies) and in case of problems does not remain in the body…[Read more]

Hi Katherine,

What are your symptoms if I may ask? You did not seek treatment back in 2018, did it get better afterwards?

My experience is that most doctors will tell you that: 1) the hernia is too big for a pure tissue repair or the tissue is too weak 2) that is better to operate sooner rather than later as watchful waiting is not recommended…[Read more]