Anyone ever had a Hernia?!? Need info asap!

CarreraS2 · 11:00 AM

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singpilot · 08:00 PM

I was 12 when I had it done.

Was in hospital for a week. Had to learn to walk again. Had a string thing from one of the jewels to the kneecap for several more weeks. Was on bed rest for several weeks. Think I missed 2 months of school.

You'll love it. Best part was having all the 12 year old girls visiting you in the hospital and asking where it hurt.

Sorry to be so negative, but is how I remember it. You might ask the pointed questions of your doc.

singpilot · 12-13-2003, 07:37 PM

I forgot the shave part. Best looking blonde in the hospital came in to shave the area. Was my first shave ever.

Changing the bandages and checking the tenderness and stitches was also always done by the best looking female nurse on duty. I think they got a kick out of teasing.

Like I said, you'll love it.

speeder · speeder's Garage

They probably just knew that wood would be excruciting. Bad nurse!

LeeH · 12-13-2003, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by singpilot
Changing the bandages and checking the tenderness and stitches was also always done by the best looking female nurse on duty.

Why IS that??? I had to have an ultrasound down there... I'll spare the world the details, but I was relieved when an overweight woman in her mid 50's came to the waiting area and called my name.

She takes me to an ultrasound suite where (absolutely no exageration here) a 20 something tech who looked like a swimsuit model is waiting for me.

It sounds like laproscopic surgery has a lot of advantages based on this study:

http://www.lapsurgery.com/nejmhern.htm

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

if you haven't checked these sites, they are pretty good:

www.emedicine.com
www.medem.com

BlueSkyJaunte · 12-13-2003, 08:56 PM

I must be going to the wrong places. I always get gay men as nurses...?!

island911 · 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SoCal911SC
. . .
It seems sometimes they are fixed laproscopically. My doc wants to do it by cutting it open. I've tried to do as much research as possible, but have had a hard time coming up with solid info on what is better, etc.
. . .

Haven't had one (bummer, btw). But I did, at one time work designing equipment, for the laproscopic/endoscopic Doc's.

My take is, these laproscopes are just different tools, for the job. Some doc's are great with this equipment, some can't stand the tight limitations. If they cut you open (old school) they ahve great visiblity and access. . . but you take longer to heal. If, otoh, they go in laproscopically, they Sx may take longer. (but, obviously the quick heal time is expected)

I'll equate it to replacing that oil sender on the back of the SC motor. . .some mechanics will say "drop the engine" while others may say "we have the tools, we can get to it from here."
Though, if your problem is more severe. . .say a bad clutch, no doubt you'll have to tear all the way in to it.
(disclaimer: having not done either, I don't know WTF I'm talking about)

I would suggest you find a hot-shot lap-doc, for a second opinion. If he says it needs to be done old school, then you know your Sx is beyond the bounds of the. laproscope

Maybe Moses will chime in here.

brawlins · 12-14-2003, 12:54 AM

I had a hernia surgery done on a Friday and was back at work on Monday. No big deal and I had a big repair.
What really messes you up is if they do surgery inside your guts. Had that done and that wiped me out bad for two weeks. On that one. lot's of post-op pain and lots of painkillers needed.

layzee · layzee's Garage

I had one this summer; it was a real easy operation. I went to a specialist clinc in London and this guy really knew what he was doing. If you get it early at this place they do it with local anesthetic. Mine had gotten too big so I couldn't but the op was still no problem. I walked in and walked out of the hospital (I was doped up tho :P). Hurt bad for a couple of days afterwards but I didn't take all the painkillers they gave me. No troubles walking after that.

Obviously the place is not much use to you but the site has some good info http://www.hernia.org (site design is awful - luckily their real setup is better!)

Moses · 12-14-2003, 06:47 AM

Every surgeon I know prefers to do surgery laparoscopically. It provides a dramatically reduced recovery time and offers a much better view of the field than you can get with the naked eye during an open procedure. Having said that, some hernias are not reduceable laparoscopically and some patients are not great candidates.

Make sure your doc is a competent laparoscopic surgeon. If he/she does 90+% of their work through the scope, but thinks you need an open procedure, then you probably do. If your doc is one of those rare dinosaurs who isn't comfortable with the scope, move on.

Zeke · 08:28 AM

SoCal, interesting that you bring this up. Mine is scheduled for Jan 9. which is a Fri. I tried for the 2nd, but the dr. is not working that long weekend. I had this done in '84 the old fashioned way and was out of work about a month. But I do heavy work. Even then, I came back slowly. It was two years before I could honestly say that I couldn't tell anything had been done.

I don't know yet which technique my dr. is going to use, but I know he mentioned the mesh. I didn't have the mesh on the other side and have have no problems since. I attribute the current injury to age and workingon and under cars more than the carpentry work I do. Who knows? For some, this happens at a desk job. the last surgeon said I had very very strong abdominal muscles and I'm pretty much the same today. So, that doesn't apparently mean a damn thing.

What pissess me off no end is that I'm going to miss a couple month's worth of track days. This summer I seized the motor and haven't finished the rebuilding yet. Between the work of installing a motor and the job of loading and unloading a car from a trailer (heavy ramps and crawling around tieing the caar down), I will be probably end up being out of the racecar for almost a year.

Edit: I forgot; this is funny (to me). The surgeon in '84 gave me choice of going under or staying awake with a local anesthetic. A big local, I guess. He says that if I do the local and stay awake, I will have less of a 'hang over' the next day. So, I say do it awake and he assures me if I don't like it, they'll drop me into unconciousness in an instant. I go through the whole thing awake, him down there yanking away and me chatiing up the anethesiologist who happens to be a good looking blonde gal.

I felt like I'd been "ate by a wolf and ***** over a cliff" the next day. No more awake for me. Doesn't help.

Moses · 12-14-2003, 07:51 AM

In the extreme lower abdomen, there is a natural weakness where 2 muscular bundles and a ligament traverse one another called Hasselbach's Triangle. If the edges of this triangle separate, you get a direct inguinal hernia. So how do you get a faulty (or open) Hasselbach's Triangle?

1) Genetic (thanks, dad)
2) Poor tissue strength (old, out of shape, obese)
3) Muscle strain. Weight lifters, athletes can stretch the triangle.
4) chronic cough, strain, etc.

Mesh is not without complications, but can be used in both open and laparoscopic cases. In general, the laparoscopic recovery is about 1/3 that of an open case.

Zeke · 12-14-2003, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Moses

Mesh is not without complications, but can be used in both open and laparoscopic cases. In general, the laparoscopic recovery is about 1/3 that of an open case.

What's the deal on the mesh? I'm sure SoCal would like to know as well.

Zeke · 12-14-2003, 01:06 PM

Brian, sorry to hear that while whipping yourself (literally) into shape that you maybe have caused injury. Let me tell you, many many men go through this procedure, Some avoid it, but there is no reason for that. You will be stronger than ever. It just takes a while for full strength. In the meantime, you'll have to keep that boyish figure intact with diet. :P

We can hobble around together. LOL. Seriously, you'll be back to work in no time, but I bet you don't feel like shifting gears or riding in a sports car for a while. Hopefully, you have a *soft* ride for the first week of two back at work. My truck is easy to get into and rides well. I'll be in it in a week most likely.

Walking is good, inline skating is not in the cards for a while.

Moses · 12-14-2003, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Zeke
What's the deal on the mesh? I'm sure SoCal would like to know as well.

Before the advent of Gortex fabric in surgery, we were pretty much limited to re-approximating and reinforcing a patients own (sometimes crappy) tissue. The tissue repairs would frequently fail later for the same reasons they got the original hernia.

Gortex is amazingly tough. You can repair BIG defects and hernias with good results. Gortex doesn't get weaker with time. The downside? Well, Gortex IS a foriegn body and although most people do well with it, sometimes the fabric can erode into adjacent areas causing tissue reaction and damage or discomfort.

If it were MY hernia?
1) Lararoscopic procedure unless containdicated.
2) No fear of Gortex if needed.
3) When given the option, I will always take a general anesthetic. Very good to be sleeping during surgery. Modern anesthetics are very safe and have almost no hangover. If you are awake with a local, the sedation meds they will give you leave you feeling as bad or worse than a general anesthetic. Just my opinion.

island911 · 12-14-2003, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Moses
. . .
Gortex doesn't get weaker with time.
. ..

Not to be contrary, or anything

but the Gortex I know of is PTFE (Teflon) at base . ..which cold-flows terribly. (meaning it deforms slowly under small loads)

Now that I think about it "Gortex" products are usually PTFE coated materials. (ie dental floss--PTFE coated nylon, raincoats-PTFE lined fabrics)

DO you know the complete make-up of these medical "Gortex fabrics " ?

Zeke · 12-14-2003, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Moses

3) When given the option, I will always take a general anesthetic. Very good to be sleeping during surgery. Modern anesthetics are very safe and have almost no hangover. If you are awake with a local, the sedation meds they will give you leave you feeling as bad or worse than a general anesthetic. Just my opinion.

Your opinion sets well with me.

Moses · 12-14-2003, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by island911
Not to be contrary, or anything but the Gortex I know of is PTFE (Teflon) at base . ..which cold-flows terribly. (meaning it deforms slowly under small loads)

The fabrics we use during surgery (Gortex is only one of many) do not resemble the fabrics used in clothing in any way. They are thin (see-through like cheesecloth) and very soft and pliant. The weave used is very loose to allow tissue to "grow" in and around it for strength.

I have never heard a gortex graft "breaking down". If there is a failure years after surgery, it is generally the surrounding tissues that fail.

I'm not saying the surgical mesh fabrics last forever, just a lot longer than the patient.

Moses · 12-14-2003, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by island911
Not to be contrary, or anything but the Gortex I know of is PTFE (Teflon) at base . ..which cold-flows terribly. (meaning it deforms slowly under small loads)

The fabrics we use during surgery (Gortex is only one of many) do not resemble the fabrics used in clothing in any way. They are thin (see-through like cheesecloth) and very soft and pliant. The weave used is very loose to allow tissue to "grow" in and around it for strength.

I have never heard of a gortex graft "breaking down". If there is a failure years after surgery, it is generally the surrounding tissues that fail.

I'm not saying the surgical mesh fabrics last forever, just a lot longer than the patient.