Inguinal Hernia

[woodman2]

Jusy been told by GP that I have a inguinal hernia to the left side of my groin! To be referred to specialist!
Anyone 'been there done that'? Not sure what I can and cannot do. No pain or discomfort- just swelling. Self employed so cannot afford to be laid up for long. (hammer)

 

[Wildman]

any lifting or straining will make it worse. Time to take a holiday and get it sorted.

 

[t8hants]

I had one done last year, it was uncomfortable at times, but I found I could do 85% of what I used to, including mild lifting. I used to be a steel fabricator so most universal beams were out.

Mine sort of pushed its way through about a month after the initial strain, which for half a day was quite painful, but a flying visit to the doc confirmed there were no nasty complications and we learned to live with each other.
A strangulated hernia can be life threatening
I opted to have it repaired under local anesthetic which meant I had it repaired quicker as they could fit me in on the end of a standard list. That was no worse then going to the dentist, but I was a student nurse a very long time ago, so the theater environment was not that worrying. I had a nice chat to the pair doing the op', but was miffed they wouldn't let me watch - never saw a hernia repair during training.

Ten months on and it has pretty well settled down, I feel the repair now and again, but thats nothing really. Steel beams are still out, but I am also older so thats probably for the best.

One piece of advice, when they say take it easy for six weeks after the op' DO SO, and then your repair will last. It can be the better part of a year before you are fully healed.

G

 

[Chrispy]

As you say been there done that, I had to go private as our health service deemed them not nesacery! But about a month after I had it done heard a radio interview with a guy from the British hernia centre or something like that, who do them keyhole and then send you home for a game of golf, no down time.

 

[Normancb]

Had mine done about 6 years ago. Keyhole surgery, one night in hospital and home next morning. Took longer to recover from the anaesthetic than from the operation, but best to give yourself time for it to heal properly before putting loads on it. Don't neglect it - as others say, a strangulated hernia is a medical emergency.

 

[gasman]

Confession. I am an anaesthetist who looks after lots of patients having hernias repaired in a specialised hernia 'clinic' so can maybe help a little.
1. The NHS generally (although this depends on where you are in the UK) will only fix your hernia if you develop problems related to it - bowel obstruction, severe pain, etc etc - although some GPs are good at persuading the NHS to take their patients.
2. Having said that plenty of people have a hernia for years without it causing them any problems. Generally though if you do lots of lifting etc it will need repair of some sort. They certainly do not get better on their own.
3. Laparoscopic hernia repair is only really indicated for recurrent or bilateral inguinal hernias. It has a higher failure (i.e. recurrence) rate than open repair for primary (first time) hernia repair. Laparoscopic hernia repair definitely needs a GA. Open hernia repair can be done under local, spinal or general anaesthesia
4. There are 2 types of inguinal hernia - Indirect in which the little sac comes down the natural canal which your testicle went down during infancy, and Direct in which the actual muscle wall is deficient. Both are repaired by the same operation and it is difficult to be sure which you have until you are opened up.
5. Whatever way you have your hernia repaired, the mesh that is put in at the operation does not 'fix' the hernia properly until that mash has been incorporated in scar tissue. That process of scar development takes 6 weeks or so - then you can return to full duties. Having said that, after 3 or 4 weeks it should be good for most things. Generally speaking, during your recovery if something is hurting you it is probably not a good idea to do it! Claims by BHC etc that you can go cycling the same day of surgery may well be true but the question is whether that is a good idea as if you fall over you can tear all the stitches etc which have been put in and negate all the benefits of the surgery.
6. 'Sportsmen's hernias' which premiership footballers amongst others get, are fixed (at vast expense) in places like Munich and the footballer returns to playing football within a few days are NOT proper hernias - usually just a muscle tear.
7. There are reasons why we don't let people watch. For most people who watch surgery on themselves, this generates a conflict in your brain between your eyes (which are telling the brain that tissue is being damaged, and your sensory nerves (which due to the local anaesthetic are telling the brain it does not hurt. Your brain is hard-wired not to like such conflict, so it tends to reject one of the conflicting incoming sensory information - and it usually rejects the one that says it is not hurting!
HTH. Good luck to you Woodman - I hope you get it sorted out
Regards Mark

 

[t8hants]

7. There are reasons why we don't let people watch. For most people who watch surgery on themselves, this generates a conflict in your brain between your eyes (which are telling the brain that tissue is being damaged, and your sensory nerves (which due to the local anaesthetic are telling the brain it does not work. Your brain is hard-wired not to like such conflict, so it tends to reject one of the conflicting incoming sensory information - and it usually rejects the one that says it is not hurting!
HT

That's interesting so by setting up an internal conflict of visual evidence over sensory perception/expectation you could trigger phantom pain in a patient because the brain thinks it should hurt.

 

[dickm]

Had mine done last May. Surgeon recommended keyhole, as I'm on various blood medications so wanted minimal cutting. I wondered about recurrence rate, but he reckoned there was no difference between the two techniques. Only two problems - a b***dy great haematoma which was probably the result of too many anti-clotting drugs (suspect the anaesthetist didn't talk to the haematology department) and problem peeing for about 24 hours. They said the anaesthetic can wreck bladder muscle tone; fortunately sorted itself out fairly quickly. Still feels slightly weak, but otherwise OK.

 

[dickm]

Couple of other thoughts - from my experience, expect to feel pretty rough for several days after the op. Tried to walk down towards village after a couple of days, but gave in after about 200 yards and had a job getting back. But it passes off fairly quickly.

Don't know about specific exercises for after surgery. Friend who had similar a couple of month's earlier was told to do gentle exercises specifically on the affected area, but the surgeon who did mine said nothing about this. Possibly a question for the OP to ask beforehand.

 

[woodman2]

Thank you all for your kind replies and especially to Mark for his extremely detailed one!!!!

My specialist appointment has come through for 3 weeks hence. By chance I have no large projects in the pipeline but plenty of small jobs that will tide me over for a month or so. My efforts to 'keep fit', other than by working, are golf and a weekly Yoga class. The golf course is very flat so I not having any problems in playing (touch wood). My Yoga teacher feels that yoga is not a good idea owing to the bending and stretching!! How many men of 65 attend a weekly Yoga class I ask???????

Still no pain or discomfort, just the unnatural swelling. Will have to wait and watch- but will certainly NOT be watching any operation thank you!

 

[DonJohnson]

Had mine done some years ago, privately, and no problems after a couple of weeks.
The nurse spent more time explaining how the TV remote control in my room worked than talking about the op.
As she looked competent, I let her shave the affected areas rather do it myself !!!

 

[skeetstar]

I had mine done three years ago, same as yours but on the other side. No problems for everyday work, but I am careful lifting heavier things.. too much weight and I feel a bit of a twinge, as though the muscle is trying to tear away from the mesh. Anyway, if it goes like mine did, all will be well, nothing to be worried about.

 

[dzj]

7. There are reasons why we don't let people watch. For most people who watch surgery on themselves, this generates a conflict in your brain between your eyes (which are telling the brain that tissue is being damaged, and your sensory nerves (which due to the local anaesthetic are telling the brain it does not work. Your brain is hard-wired not to like such conflict, so it tends to reject one of the conflicting incoming sensory information - and it usually rejects the one that says it is not hurting!
HT

That's interesting so by setting up an internal conflict of visual evidence over sensory perception/expectation you could trigger phantom pain in a patient because the brain thinks it should hurt.

Opposite of what Ramachandran did, If I understand correctly.

 

[mailee]

I feel like a big coward after reading all of these posts. I have had a hernia for around five years now with no pain or discomfort at all just the swelling. I still do a bit of lifting like sheets of 18mm MDF, furniture etc, but usually nothing too heavy like a worktop (I get assistance for those) I haven't gone ahead with an operation due to being terrified of having an operation mixed with taking time off work and the loss of income. (Self employed) Only time I have been in a hospital was for some stitches in my hand due to a circular saw and that hurt like hell, (the injection) I did pass out from that. maybe I have a low pain threshold as I also passed out when they removed them (or maybe I am a wussy) :lol: There is a guy in the workshop next door to me who also has had a hernia for over ten years without any problems which reinforces my view of not having anything done about it. This of course is just my view on it right or wrong.

 

[RogerS]

Fair enough, Alan, and I can understand where you are coming from.

Just make sure you know intimately the symptoms of a strangulated hernia !!

 

[dickm]

Yes +1 to being aware of symptoms of strangulated hernia. While waitiing to have mine done, GP was very insistent that I get to surgery really fast if it looked like it had twisted. And they don't usually encourage visits!