Posted by Morgan on January 29, 2009, 5:34 pm
167.206.63.X
Hi, I’m new here and hope to get some guidance from the good doctor and others who may have experienced something similar. In 1997, I had an inguinal hernia repair performed via open/traditional methods on the left side w/o mesh. No problems encountered until 2007, when the bulge reappeared on the same side. I took a wait-and-see approach. No symptoms.
In Jan. 2008, while out for a fast walk, I developed sudden and severe pain in the left abdominal area. This was accompanied by extreme tightness in the left groin area and pain in the left testicle. The internist thought it was the hernia and recommended seeing a surgeon. Repair was done this time laparoscopially with mesh
Upon recovery from surgery, the same pain and tightness returned after performing the simplest of activities: lifting items as light as a milk carton or bag of groceries, walking, light swimming, stretching, yoga, light workouts out in gym...pretty much any physical activity. The doctor said to wait a year and see how it feels at that point. It has now been a year.
Pain still persists and can still be moderate to severe after doing these activities. Pain medication doesn’t touch it. If I don’t do activities or lift anything, the pain eventually dissipates over time (this can take weeks or months, depending on how bad the exacerbation/pain was). The level of pain and recovery time depends on the activity exacerbating the problem. Upon physical exam, the surgeon doesn’t think it’s a recurrent hernia, but the internist upon palpation of lower abdominal area thinks there’s muscle separation there and that a recurrence exists that has gone undetected by traditional exam. No CAT scans, MRIs, or ultrasounds have been done to date.
Does this sound like hernia complications? Suggestions on how to proceed? See a different surgeon? If so, who should I see in the NYC or Philly area? Have you heard of Amory Spencer at Columbia Hernia Center? You also mentioned Dennis Fowler at Cornell Weill in a previous string. Who would be your first choice among doctors? Thanks for your help!
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