Katherine

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!!!

Thank you, Dr. Towfigh. This may be a stupid question – but in your opinion, what defines symptomatic? Exhibiting any symptoms at all, or to the degree that it interferes with daily activities, etc.? I guess I would consider mine mildly symptomatic, but other than the bulge, quite often I don’t even notice it’s there unless I do a lot of squatting…[Read more]

Thank you, Dr. Towfigh. My physical condition makes it very difficult to travel. Does Dr. Sickle do a tissue based repair? Can you tell me why all the surgeons are using mesh now with all the complications with mesh?