Hernia Surgery?

[trevi]

Yeah, I know I'm making more of it than needs be.
Like I said early on, I'm not very fond of doctors beyond my Primary Care Physician.
Colonoscopy, been there.
Hernia, about to have been there.
Hemroidectomy, back in 1973, I was sitting on a wet stump for several mornings while hunting. Was my first year.
A squirrel scared the beejeezus outta me when he climbed that stump.
I know I scared him, cause he was so mad, I swear he took the hemorrhoids with him!! LOLOL!!!

No, any surgery is an invasion to the body. Make it a concern.

 

[BPOR11]

The last one I had was in the 90's. They told me they used a kevlar mesh. It's nice to know that I'm bulletproof in that 2x2 area in my lower right abdomen

 

[2A2Dend]

I know that feeling. My PCP is also a good looking female!! And a former D.O.
I been asking her FOREVER if she'd DO me!!
She just smiles and laughs. LOL!!

 

[American123]

I had inguadinal (spelling) canal hernia from wrestling in high school.

My uncle had the same hernia. We both had them surgically repaired, mine was sewn closed with surgical mesh. His was stapled closed. I've never had a problem with mine, his gave him lots of pain for year after, I think the staple method was inferior.

I was laid out on my bubblegum for a week after the surgery, couldn't sneeze, cough, laugh, and plan on not being able to poop at all u less you lax up. Best of luck.

 

[OldTengu]

Had an inguinal hernia repaired in July. It was pretty unpleasant, and I deal with pain better than most. Felt like my nuts were in a vice for a few weeks. Took a couple months to heal properly. Back to 100% now.

 

[jbett98]

One thing for sure, it won't go away on it's own.

 

[P7M13]

If you're bulging, you need it fixed, right away.
I've had two inguinal hernias and surgeries to repair. Let's just say it was 50:50 as far as success without complication.
As far as recovery, get up and walk as soon as you are conscious, avoid doing anything that creates abdominal pressure. If you're constipated, start taking laxatives (thinking senna based) before the surgery.

I'm 6ft, 170lbs. The average typical gut for a guy near 60ish

Yep, you're trim as far as Americans go, esp. according to my European colleagues.

Hernia repairs, colonoscopies, and hemeroidectomies are among the most common and routine medical procedures....

And the death rate from medical errors is 250,000-440,000 people per year. Scared yet?

 

[teflon6string]

Don't like doctors? That's probably 90% of why you're freaked out. My surgery was old school with a knife. No problem. Really glad I got it fixed. My son had three done laparoscopically two weeks ago. Playing with the kids now and went shooting big guns with his church group last weekend (Texas).

You'll feel so good after a few days that you might be tempted to let your macho, heroic self off the leash. Don't. Give your body time to heal inside where you can't see. And don't move a refrigerator alone, even for your sister (not to be too specific). That'll just make the dull ache last longer.

My best wishes.
------------
Added edit:
If they intend to send you home with narcotic painkillers, there are two things you might want to consider. So ask!

- I don't, but some folks experience nausea with opiates. Ask your doc for an anti-nausea Rx so you don't feel like puking. He/she will know exactly what you're talking about.

- And many painkillers will constipate you badly. Last thing you want with a fresh hernia repair is to spend a week popping a vein in your forehead trying to carve a stubborn twister. Citrucel, laxatives and stool softeners are your friends.

 

[edslhead]

Easy as pie, in fact you can probably google it and do it yourself.

 

[Ops]

multicare - cedar surgery?

 

[Kruel J]

Had an inguinal hernia repaired in July. It was pretty unpleasant, and I deal with pain better than most. Felt like my nuts were in a vice for a few weeks. Took a couple months to heal properly. Back to 100% now.

Had one when I was 5. Yes 5 years old. Surgery fixed me up apparently because I've been good ever since. Shoot even the scar has faded away.

 

[Howard1955]

I tend to be very reluctant to have anyone cut me open.

Docs are only human, so if I'm going to have surgery I like to learn what I can about the surgeon and the anesthesiologist.

I actually interviewed an ophthalmologist once. He had examined my eyes and told me that he could correct my vision with a surgical procedure. I didn't much like the idea of someone cutting on my eyeballs, but I really wanted to stop wearing glasses. So, I asked him a series of questions.

Were you in the top 10% of your class, or the bottom 10%?
Are you married? Happily married?
Do you like doing this kind of work?
Do you have any lawsuits against you for malpractice?
Do you drink alcohol? How much?
Do you use recreational drugs?
Etc, etc...



He was pretty amused by my questions, until I said:

How many of these procedures have you done?



At that, he looked at the floor, scuffed his foot, and said

"Well... So far, I've only done one - and that was in medical school. On a dog."



I shook his hand, thanked him, and left.

I still wear glasses.



Of course, you're having your guts tucked back in, and that's a bit easier to contemplate than having your eyeballs cut on.

But the underlying idea is the same: Find a surgeon who has done a whole bunch of surgeries like the one you need. If he has a good reputation, you're probably in good hands.

 

[RogerJ]

I have had 3. 1st repair lasted 6 months. 2nd repair lasted 6 months. Waited several years to find the right doctor to get it done right but it took two years. Recovery is painful especially the first week. Dr. Yunis, Sarasota FL, has been doing 600-700 hernias a years for 20 years now. He's the best. My internals were bad so he had to do a lot more cutting than expected.

 

[dobeman]

It's about one of the most simple surgeries there is.

They'll give it to the resident in training while you are under, while the real doc tweets.

 

[techiej]

One of the simpler procedures and recovery is usually pretty fast. Post operative pain is usually only bad for 2-3 days and then gets better quite quickly. I was on Tylenol only on the 3rd day. Had the nylon mesh and it felt weird for a week or so and then I could feel something - not bad just different - for about a month and after that didn't notice it any more.

Usually you have the PCP order an ultrasound and then a referral to a surgeon. Surgery is usually ambulatory (in-n-out same day).

 

[MannyGlocks]

Everyone's experience is different.

Mine was for a left inguinal hernia.

Laproscopically repaired.

Two tiny scars.

I expected three, and maybe there is, but I couldn't find it.

Zero post op pain.

It was a breeze.

 

[teflon6string]

I tend to be very reluctant to have anyone cut me open.

Docs are only human, so if I'm going to have surgery I like to learn what I can about the surgeon and the anesthesiologist.

I actually interviewed an ophthalmologist once. He had examined my eyes and told me that he could correct my vision with a surgical procedure. I didn't much like the idea of someone cutting on my eyeballs, but I really wanted to stop wearing glasses. So, I asked him a series of questions.

Were you in the top 10% of your class, or the bottom 10%?
Are you married? Happily married?
Do you like doing this kind of work?
Do you have any lawsuits against you for malpractice?
Do you drink alcohol? How much?
Do you use recreational drugs?
Etc, etc...



He was pretty amused by my questions, until I said:

How many of these procedures have you done?



At that, he looked at the floor, scuffed his foot, and said

"Well... So far, I've only done one - and that was in medical school. On a dog."



I shook his hand, thanked him, and left.

I still wear glasses.



Of course, you're having your guts tucked back in, and that's a bit easier to contemplate than having your eyeballs cut on.

But the underlying idea is the same: Find a surgeon who has done a whole bunch of surgeries like the one you need. If he has a good reputation, you're probably in good hands.

Many who practice medicine also ask about household firearms on their patient questionnaires. So turnabout is fair play, yes?

Good anecdote about the eye doc above.

I often ponder the age of a doc, at one time believing that ministers, doctors and professors should be older, implying greater life experience and wisdom. But now they'd be distinctly grouchy, coming out of retirement to satisfy that criterion, for me at least. So in this century, I must placate myself with the belief that younger doctors are all trained up with current knowledge and technology, and still remember how to apply it.