Katherine

Interesting thread. When I got my first hernia back in 1994, I was very, very healthy. Avid runner and weightlifter and loved doing just about any type of exercise. I had a pure tissue repair – no mesh. It hurt like hell for about a week, then I was back to work. It’s been a long time ago, so I can’t really remember how long it took me to go back…[Read more]

Hi Andrew1982 – I am so sorry this happened to you. You and PeterC are good examples of why I haven’t had this done. You may have read my other posts (or not), but I had surgery on a rare spinal nerve condition. The surgery was actually considered “experimental” by insurance and they denied it initially until the surgeon fought back enough they…[Read more]

Alephy, do you recall who was the poster with the issues following cutting of the nerve? When I talked to my hip surgeon, he highly recommended Dr. Echo and that’s how he came back into the picture. But I told my hip surgeon I had reservations about the cutting of the nerve and he said that Dr. Echo does everything he does during the surgery to…[Read more]

Hi Johnso,

Thank you for sending the link. I think I just need to visit Dr. Echo again for clarification. I remember him telling me that he specifically learned the Muschenek method in Germany and that he cuts that one nerve. Maybe he does both methods? He seemed knowledgeable – maybe a bit arrogant. But I find that in a lot of surgeons. I am so…[Read more]

Hi Eu, thanks for that link. As I said, I had seen him previously and he said he did the Muschenek method which involved cutting of the genitofemoral nerve – but perhaps he has changed his method since I saw him. Perhaps it’s worth another visit. I can’t really afford to travel to see a surgeon (my only options would be Dr. Brown in California or…[Read more]

Hi Alephy, I don’t know about previous issues with 3D mesh, but am hoping better hernia repairs are in our future. It sounds like doctors like Dr. Towfigh are on the forefront of helping us with things like robotic tissue repair. I still don’t like the idea of any mesh, but understand that for some people, it’s the only option. I remember when I…[Read more]

Hi Alephy,

Reabsorbable mesh. I have a nightmare story for you. During my spinal surgery, the surgeon had to do a sacral laminectomy on me. He also drilled holes in my sacrum to access the spinal nerve root cysts. I have very little posterior sacrum left. Instead of using an inert material (like titanium) that would protect what was left, he used…[Read more]

Hi Good intentions, thanks for the information on the laproscopic repair using the “eye shaped” lighter weight mesh. I did not know that this was most likely to have folding complications. I would certainly rather have a pure tissue repair – but what I’d like most is to find a fantastic doctor that does a pure tissue repair, but could honestly…[Read more]

Hi Alephy, thanks for your response. My symptoms are some slight soreness at times (other times I feel nothing). It seems to get larger during the day, when I wake up after sleeping, it’s doesn’t stick out nearly as much. If I bend down to the floor with my knees, I feel it popping in and out. It is more sore towards the pubic bone area than any…[Read more]

Dr. Towfigh – here are the names of the two surgeons I have found in Houston that do non-mesh repair. Do you happen to know either one of them? Both are older and do both mesh and non-mesh repair. Dr. Richard Andrassy is one I saw a few years ago, but at the time my hernia was getting larger, but not symptomatic at all so I decided to just wait. I…[Read more]

Thank you Dr. Towfigh! I wish I could see you, but my insurance plan is not one that you accept. I appreciate your valuable input. I would say that at this point my hernia is mildly symptomatic – but the big choice is are the symptoms better now than they would be if I had chronic pain after surgery since there are no guarantees with surgery. I…[Read more]

I guess I’m so worried about mesh because of the continuing inflammation I’ve had from the reabsorbable mesh in my spinal operation back in 2012. It’s weird because I had a bad feeling right when I was on the pre-op table about the surgery and the surgeon. It’s an extremely risky surgery to begin with. I guess I would describe the doctor I saw…[Read more]

I have thought about that – maybe scheduling another appointment. After he told me he could do a pure tissue repair, I asked him if I could ask him some questions and he was receptive. Unfortunately, I had questions that were more related to the shouldice repair, not the Bassini. These are the questions I asked and what I remember as the…[Read more]

Thanks Good intentions for your thoughtful comment. Yes, from looking over previous posts that is what I understand about the Bassini. So I guess it all depends on which method the physician uses. From the reviews I’ve read online about him, everyone says he has a bad bedside manner! And this is not just hernia surgeries as he does other general…[Read more]

Thank you Johnso! Good to know!!!

Thank you, Dr. Towfigh!!!