[Johnso]

Dr Towfigh:

Thank you for the advice. It confirms and reinforces my need to do what I can to avoid a plug and patch repair and any other repair that is no longer recommended such as the bilayer Prolene Hernia System. When it comes to medical treatment I am extremely cautious. I had a life altering but not life threatening reaction to a treatment many years ago. If it was not for the information mainly provided by your Hernia Talk Live session and this forum I would have not been aware of the increased risks associated with the plug and patch repair. Fortunately I have put aside some funds so I can pursue the private route if I have to.

I also want to thank you for making this discussion forum possible and making your Hernia Talk Live sessions available on your YouTube channel as I have no plans at this time to listen in live via social media. Both of these platforms have provided me with a wealth of information about hernias and hernia repairs/treatments. Some of your guests have even discussed one of the other health issues that I am dealing with which I found interesting.

ajm222 and Alephy:

As I said to Dr. Towfigh I want to thank you for your advice.

I don’t know if my hernia is too large for a tissue repair at Shouldice but currently I am too large for the repair. I am trying to walk my way down to a normal BMI but I will need to curb my appetite to be successful. I am not obese just overweight. My preference is to get a tissue repair if possible but as Dr. Towfigh said I should seek a surgeon who can offer a tailored approach including laparoscopic.

Right now my hernia is sometimes uncomfortable but tolerable. Provided it doesn’t progress and get too bad I will be calling some private surgical clinics to find out what type of hernia repairs they do and what is involved in booking an appointment/consultation.

I do know exactly what hospital in the city where I live that I will go to if the need arises.

There definitely needs to be more surgeons who specialize in hernias because it is not “just a hernia”.

[Johnso]

Katherine:

I have had 2 routine colonoscopies since I was diagnosed with a left sided inguinal hernia. I had some concerns before the second colonoscopy because my hernia was larger. I did not have any complications from the procedures and they did not affect my hernia. For me the procedures were similar to the colonoscopy I had before I developed the hernia. I will say I did not enjoy the prep.