[Scarletville]

Sort of on topic, I expect in the future cold plasma will be utilised to aid recovery by surgeons as it can be used to increase cell migration and proliferation among other things. I believe this is still in a purely research phase as universities as of now though. I also expect plasma will eventually be applied to mesh when the companies that develop it actually decide to do something innovative for once. Everyday items like your the exterior surfaces of your car are already treated with plasma to change it’s properties to be less prone to rusting for example. Research has already been carried out to change material surfaces to be more bio-compatible and prevent biofilms forming.

[Scarletville]

I hope everything goes well for you dh305. Out of interest may I ask how your hernias will be repaired after the mesh is removed? Will you have an open tissue repair at a later date?

[Scarletville]

I’m the same age as you with a relatively small right inguinal hernia but It’s always caused me great discomfort and pain since before it protruded. If you don’t want a mesh there are a lot of tissue repairs techniques available to name a few: Desarda, Shouldice, Bassini, Kang and McVay. Assuming you’re of average weight at your age if you get a tissue repair by a skilled surgeon I think you can expect a very low chance of recurrence similar to that of the Shouldice Hospital. There are pros and cons so definitely inform yourself on this and if you definitely don’t want a mesh repair look for the best surgeon you can find you’re willing to travel to. I’m personally getting a Desarda repair this month or next by a surgeon with great reviews on an independent website and in a recent survey to which 110 patients answered had 0 recurrences (Most will be mesh repair patients).

[Scarletville]

Thank you very much for your reply Dr Towfigh. My surgeon has made me aware that should a tissue repair fail that mesh is the next step. I wish to understand the risks involved in this so I can make the best most well informed decision for myself. You mentioned that you know the recurrence rate is higher for tissue repairs using absorbable sutures. May I ask if you recall a study I can look at regarding this as It would be invaluable so that I may quantify the risk. I’ve found very few papers on this topic and sample groups have been very small so it’s been difficult to reach a conclusion.

[Scarletville]

Thank you for replying. I wouldn’t say I’m choosing the suture material but I do have choice. Desarda used to use prolene sutures which my surgeon prefers using as they have achieved good results with this and haven’t used absorbable sutures. Desarda now uses Polydioxanone absorbable sutures which my surgeon is willing to use but hasn’t used them before and there isn’t a great deal of data on long term outcomes from using these to his knowledge other than from Desarda himself. Right now my choice is certainly between them but if a surgeon such as Dr Brown has had good success with silk I’d ask my surgeon if he’d be happier and more confident to use that over Polydioxanone.

[Scarletville]

May I ask what you mean by Desarda technique criticism Mike?

[Scarletville]

I would recommend looking at the Desarda repair as it’s tension free. If you check the website it outlines the benefits, it’s also an easier surgery to perform.