[lkdivers]

Thank you both for your responses! I am currently in the waiting phase during this pandemic to receive ultrasound guided injections. @drtowfigh – brief anatomy question : in the area of my pain I can feel separation between my rectus muscles and a small soft area near where my oblique was sutured back in place. Is this normal/okay? I can’t feel any hernia due to the 32×34 cm piece of mesh under the muscles. Could this muscle separation be causing any of this pain or is it normal for some separation to occur as healing occurs? 6 months post op here. Thanks in advance – any input is genuinely appreciated!

[lkdivers]

@momof4 – I, too, am hopeful it will resolve. Until then, my surgeon has referred me to pain management for some more injections in hopes that fixes it. He thinks it is suture site pain/inflammation because of the location – very near the location he had to fully repair/reattach my oblique muscle that had been cut all the way through. However, to me, it fits all the textbook boxes of a nerve pain. The skin in the area of pain is also totally numb. I don’t know…just very frustrating. Oh well – I will just keep walking this road and being VERY thankful that for the first time in three years, I don’t have a hernia. Truly amazing!

[lkdivers]

[USER=”3090″]Dee[/USER] – I am so sorry you are in the midst of dealing with this situation. Recurrent hernias are defeating as well as painful. Just as Dr. Towfigh recommended – I would really like to encourage you to consult a true hernia specialist. I endured 6 hernia surgeries with the same surgeons before seeking the help of a hernia specialist (I see Dr. Heniford). I genuinely regret not seeking specialized attention earlier on. Please keep me posted on your situation. Good luck!

[lkdivers]

[USER=”2029″]Good intentions[/USER] Yes! When my surgeons here in Virginia recommended him to me, I immediately started reading everything I could about him. Needless to say, I was very impressed. Some of the presentations he has done in the recent past directly address the issues I’m having – multiple recurrence after CS. As a patient, it makes me feel hopeful.

​​​​​​​Dr. Heniford is also a proponent of “pre-hab” prior to hernia surgery. That speaks volumes to me, as I can tell that my level of physical strength/fitness has helped me through these many surgeries. I am really looking forward to seeing Dr. Heniford, and I really appreciate your reply.

[lkdivers]

[USER=”2854″]localCivilian[/USER] – I agree. “Rollercoaster” is an excellent description. From what I have read, Dr. Heniford (Carolinas Hernia Center) is a hernia specialist. I will also definitely be looking into the online consult with Dr. Towfigh! Thanks!

[lkdivers]

Thank you all for your helpful responses! My plastic surgeon did a tissue repair of the second recurrence in May. I now have yet another (rather large) recurrence at a different location. My surgeons have referred me to Dr. Heniford in Charlotte, NC. I am waiting to see how long it will take to get an appointment with him.

[USER=”935″]drtowfigh[/USER] – both my general and plastic surgeons believe that I may have some type of sensitivity to the sutures used (#1 ethibond) because the sutures simply “come out” of the main midline repair area. My plastic surgeon said they are still knotted, not broken, and the muscle seems to heal back and not be “frayed”. They just come out and create an area for a hernia to form. Have you seen anything similar? Thanks a bunch! This is such uncharted territory for me. I’m ready to get my life back.

[lkdivers]

@drtowfigh – that makes sense, thank you. The side I’m having the pain on is the same side that all 3 layers were either cut through or cut too deep during component separation in June 2018 and the component separation totally failed – everything kind of ripped apart. I had two major recurrences after that before seeing a specialist (my mistake – I didn’t know). My last surgery in October 2019 was to repair that. Just left with pain on that side and it doesn’t feel quite right to me. Hoping that pain management can see something with ultrasound – or I might should ask for a CT?