Mike M

Dr. Grischkan was the first doctor I met with regarding hernia repair. He has done 20k+ repairs. The outpatient facility is attached to his office. There were a lot of thank you letters (some very recent) on his wall as you walk in from some big names.

He is very popular in the body building community for repairs. He doesn’t use gore-tex 100% of…[Read more]

I would call Dr. Grischkan’s office and see if he can provided a recommendation or point you in the right direction.

He has served as an expert witness (hernia doctor) for…[Read more]

That is great news Chuck! I credit you to pointing me in the direction of Dr. Kang first. He provided me with the best possible outcome as well. Hopefully others struggling with similar circumstances will see your post as an inspiration to keep pushing until they find the right solution for them.

The closest specialist I am aware of near the Oregon / Washington region would be the owner of these forums – Dr. Towfigh located in Bev Hills, Cali. (310) 358-5020

She has a lot of different options available and is a modern pioneer in the field.

I would be extremely careful when selecting your surgeon. There have been many not so positive…[Read more]

It will get better with time per all the doctors I spoke with prior to surgery in the United States and South Korea. I only experienced the usual “painful” hernia repair symptoms the first two or three days. Tension followed which faded over time (had to sit every 15-20mins). Tension was totally gone in about a month or so. My case was probably…[Read more]

Dr. Kang and the repair are rock solid for no mesh open tissue repair. Would definitely recommend!

@MarkT

Because most of the time it’s marketed as exactly that….

@William Bryant

Repair is perfect! Waiting on the 6 month mark before I start lifting heavy weights again (self imposed restriction). All of the generalized symptoms of “open tissue repair, no mesh” have faded significantly and continue to fade. It is getting to the point on some occasions I am now forgetting I even had surgery which I think is…[Read more]

Top three common things that can hurt tissues and reduce collagen production / repair.

#1. Sleep deprivation (redirects proteins used in collagen production to other functions to keep you “awake”)

#2. Alcohol (more than 2 drinks per day, also 14 drinks per week is considered *heavy drinking*) in men. Also if the alcohol is interfering with your…[Read more]

Keep in mind all the leading tissue doctors we mentioned (Dr. Kang, Dr. Grischkan, Dr. Sbayi, and Dr. Yunis) are “ok” or will “accept” BMI up to and including the low 30%.

Obviously the lower you can get your BMI the better but it can still be a very strong and viable permanent option from all the mentioned specialists+ surgeons if you are…[Read more]

@Watchful It sounds like the procedure (as described) in that link is a removal (in that section) and what is left is “repurposed” ?

“All cremasteric structures—muscle, vessels, and genitofemoral nerve—are taken.” 1168 E.B. Shouldice / Surg Clin N Am 83 (2003) 1163–1187

“To ensure no difficulties of this nature, the distal end of the divid…[Read more]

These were my personal guidelines / cutoffs when I was considering Mesh:

#1. Age – 65 or older.

#2. BMI – 40% or higher

#3. Underlying health condition – (Connective tissue disorder, Marfans, collagen production issue, etc.)

None of those applied to me.

However if any of them do apply to you there are still open tissue options to at least…[Read more]

One very important distinction between Shouldice and Dr. Kang’s indirect hernia repair is with Shouldice there is not just “cutting”. Shouldice also includes the *removal* of a “significant” portion of the cremaster muscle (30%-50%) to get a “tight” repair around the inguinal ring. This is what I was told by several Shouldice surgeons mentioned in…[Read more]

Full disclosure: I went to Dr. Kang and had a successful Dr. Kang repair.

#1. Dr. Kang – Scenario: You are going to war in your own town and Dr. Kang is like a GPS, laser guided, Smart Bomb with the least amount of collateral damage while still maintaining maximum effectiveness in the targeted area (as it relates to open tissue repair). Dr. Kang…[Read more]

@PeterC

I would consult with David Krpata, M.D at the Cleveland Clinic- 216.445.9989

If he could not help you directly I would think he could point you into the right direction for some options.

Cleveland Clinic is one of the best hospitals in the country imho and they do some amazing things at that hospital.

It is a major institution with…[Read more]

@William Bryant

Dr. Kang does have you cough prior to surgery in the OR and marks the area. You are strapped down extensively so movement was never a concern of mine. I suppose some people might be awake in twilight. You are so calm and secure I don’t see how it would matter unless you have a serious pre-existing neurological condition maybe?…[Read more]

For me – I definitely remember “pain” but it just wasn’t with anything directly related to the surgery. It was with my back about 5mins after I transferred to the tiny (6’3″) post-op bed made of bricks lol. I even remember the dream when I passed out and later woke up during surgery. It wasn’t a bad dream just weird as heck. I tried to stay awake…[Read more]

Dr. Kang I felt zero pain during the operation with local sedation and my op lasted a little longer than normal because of the two hernias.

I did wake up the last 15mins in a twilight still nothing and this includes when I was transferred off the OR table.

I do not really remember pain until later in the day around nighttime. It came on gradual…[Read more]

@KC

I recently had a Dr. Kang repair (7 weeks ago) and was initially dead set against using permanent sutures.

This is the only option I went back and…[Read more]

The only requirement for entry when I entered from US was the COVID Vaccine (Booster if two shots were over 180 days ago).

Obviously it is still good to keep up on all the other standard ones when they are due.