Herniated

It has long been recognized that the recurrence rate for Shouldice repairs is much lower for high volume surgeons than it is for low volume surgeons. This paralleled its reputation as a difficult surgery to master. So much so that one of the benefits touted for the Lichtenstein Repair of Inguinal Hernia using mesh was that successful repairs could…[Read more]

I write to correct some of the false statements made in this thread regarding the practices of the Shouldice Hospital.

1. You can’t select your surgeon. This is false. You are welcome to request a specific surgeon, and they will do their best to accommodate. This is discussed in the HerniaTalk interview of the Shouldice Chief of Surgery Dr. S…[Read more]

Two thoughts for Chuck.
1. You might enjoy the following brief introduction to indecision: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/still-procrastinating/202103/what-makes-people-indecisive

2. If I recall correctly you are located in the DC/Baltimore region. If so, Johns Hopkins University Hernia Center is in the neighborhood, and offers a large…[Read more]

There was a recurrence rate study that compared the recurrence rate of patients whose primary repair occurred at the Shouldice Hospital with those of patients whose primary repair occurred at various other Ontario hospitals. They did this by scanning the Ontario Hospital Insurance Program (OHIP) records, which captures recurrence codes in hospital…[Read more]

The following is a quote from the Beverly Hills Hernia Clinic web site (Dr. Towfigh’s clinic):

“Since the introduction of mesh in the 1980’s, most surgeons have lost the art of non-mesh tissue repairs of the inguinal hernia. Dr. Towfigh is experienced in non-mesh tissue repairs and regularly offers it to her patients who she feels are good c…[Read more]

@maxl – Dr. Shirin Towfigh, who created this HerniaTalk web site, is in California. She is a hernia repair surgeon offering either tissue or mesh repairs.

Hollywood is close to Orange County, and Hollywood offers the esteemed hernia specialist Dr. S. Towfigh, who offers no mesh repairs.

Watchful, stainless does sound good except that its potential interference with quality NMR imaging of the region has not been well described. Your prolene sutures should not interfere. So should the need ever arise, you will be able to get pretty pictures of your pelvic organs (or of the prolene-induced granulomas ;).