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Jumping back in to say I did get the surgery and it went well. No mesh was used, surgeon did a good job. Took a month or so two til it felt healed, had some gnarly swelling and bruising, but that’s par for the course with open surgery, I have heard.

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The healing ridge is the pencil width bump under the incision, no? That’s not bothering me. It’s the large egg swelling in the inguinal cavity right where the hernia used to be… but I understand from the literature this is likely a normal seroma and I just have to wait it out.

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A week later, belly swelling is almost gone. Groin swelling a bit smaller, but continues, which makes sense, as gravity would dictate excess fluid goes there, per my surgeon and the Internet. Still curious how long swelling has lasted for other recoveries!

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Thanks guys! Makes me feel better. I assume it’s similar for bruising on the upper right thigh next to the groin. Seems like some of the draining is going there.
Just started getting brief twinges of hot pain on the pubic mound…not too worried yet. Ice seems to take care of it.

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It doesn’t hurt at all. It slips out a couple times a day, but usually reduces after I lie down for a couple minutes, so doesn’t get in my way too much. Mainly just worried that it would get worse, tho various sourc s say it’s pretty safe to wait. The procedure is definitely a modified shouldice, at least in that he doesn’t use the stainless steel sutures. I am a bit concerned he might fall back on mesh if there’s a problem, though. Would a surgeon commit to not using mesh, if they thought it was the only option or necessary? I bet most of them wouldn’t.

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I’m in Illinois, we’re doing better than most states but the numbers are slowly rising. I feel like the procedure itself will be pretty safe, but all the additional follow up visits and waiting room time, plus the risk of complications putting me in an urgent care or something, are small but not zero? I’ve also realized from this site some people wait YEARS to fix their hernias, and maybe there’s some logic to that instead of rushing into it…