Posted by Jeff on June 4, 2009, 11:00 pm, in reply to "1 year post inguinal surgery...."
24.39.221.X
I encourage you to read my recent post and the full thread following it -- http://members.boardhost.com/hernia1/msg/1243011228.html.
Also, search this board, other boards, Google, etc. for "post hernia surgery pain," "post-herniorrhaphy pain," and similar search terms. A key question I and others will have is what kind of hernia repair did you have done? The Hernia MD will no doubt reply to your post, and I'm sure he'll ask that and a number of related questions. After you reply to him, I'll be happy to add more of what I know, based on my own experience and research. I'm not in the medical field, but I'm a professor and have access to electronic databases that include medical/surgeon's journals. Sadly, I spent more time than I would have liked, last summer, reading about hernia repair, hoping it would help me figure out what to do. I felt very unsupported by the professionals around me and very much on my own. One thing I can say is that if you're in an area with limited specialists (where are you?), don't rely on either your GP or the surgeon who did initial surgery. My GP and first surgeon made many mistakes along the way that never would have been made by someone more experienced with the world of hernia repair and related research. When I had pain after my first surgery, neither my surgeon nor my GP even knew that the lump that was the source of the pain was the hernia repair plug -- migrating!!! They thought it was scar tissue, and CT scans didn't show a hernia recurrence, although technically I had one, because the plug was on its side. My GP didn't even know what a plug was, even though he referred me to a surgeon who only does that kind of repair, and despite the fact that I had by that time done a fair amount of research and had told him the plug was likely the problem because it has a known high rate of problems/complications. I "fired" him when, after all this, he asked one day, "What do you mean plug? I thought they all just used mesh." And he prides himself on being current, well read, and scientific in his analysis of and treatments and diagnoses.
If you're near Toronto you might look into and communicate with the Shouldice Hospital. They only do suture-only repairs, and they have an excellent record. Cleveland's another location that may work for you, depending on where you are -- e.g., The Ohio Hernia Center and the Cleveland Clinic both do lots of hernia repairs.
The bottom line is that you'll likely need to become you're own best expert and advocate. Do your own research and keep reaching out for advice. Good luck and all my best...
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