[Robo]

Too small to be “real hernia” …. ultrasound vs MRI?

Dr. Szotek and Dr. Lederman, thank you both for taking the time to answer my questions.

The ultrasound was done while bearing down and also normally, but don’t recall during which part they noticed it. The paper report mentioned the 4 mm fat hernia in the groin region. Not sure how it was measured but they were using a cursor on the reading screen making little marks throughout the scan. They also did a scrotum ultrasound which assume was normal because never heard anything about that part. MRI was laying down, no contrast used.

I don’t wear a belt, stopped wearing belts and tighter pants because the waist area seems to fall in the area that can hurt and aggravate it. I did the basic urology urine workup and went through antibiotics for good measure but it had no effect.

Is the nerve block idea promising? Is that attempted to inject into nerve or into the possible hernia area itself? This may be a stupid question but can something be injected that would dissolve the fat to see if that tiny piece of fat is the problem? Who is best to do accurate nerve blocks?

Is there a definitive way to rule in or out a hernia? If there is a hernia, is there one type of hernia repair that would be preferred over another for this type of situation?

[Robo]

Alternatives to mesh

Why is dissolvable mesh not used more often in inguinal hernia repair? It seems the best of all worlds

Here is an example of one study using a dissolvable mesh that seems promising

https://www.goremedical.com/resources/dam/assets/AK2939-EN2_whitepaper.pdf

Does anyone do surgeries with dissolvable mesh or this just theory and trials at this point?

[Robo]

Advice

Beenthere — Your case is interesting to me, did you have a sports hernia or a real hernia? Was yours painful? What type of surgery did you have for the first and second surgery? Who did you see to finally go to get your situation resolved after the first clinic failed?

Thanks for sharing, I know medical complexities can be overwhelming as a patient.