Anybody ever, had it? I just got back from surgery yesterday. I feel like I was kicked in the stomach by a horse. I'm walking around but still not able to stand up completely straight. I've been living with it 2.5 years and it just got to where I couldn't do anything physical much at all. I didn't have to receive any blood or blood products thank God. I'm 54 years old and was very active when all this started.

Just wondering if you had this surgery how long recovery took and if you have any problems from it still. While I was considering it, I bet I got 5 messages a day from a law firm wanting to represent anyone who had the hernia mesh repair surgery. That's one reason why I put it off so long, but it got bad enough for me to take the risk.

I had it 12 years ago at 49. My surgery was laparoscopic. I was really sore the first week. It was hard to straighten up completely for a couple days . Complete recovery was 6 weeks before my doc. cleared me to return to work. My job was very physical though. For almost 10 years after my surgery I could feel a pinch from the mesh if I turned a certain way . Do everything you can not to cough !!! Good luck with your recovery.

Yea, just clearing your throat when you need to cough has been an issue. Luckly I'm not a smoker. Mine was laparoscopic too but done with a De Venshi robot.

I had mine done back in '74 or so. That was long before laproscopes. I think they used a Goodyear self-vulcanizing tire patch on mine. I was forbidden to drive for 90 days (standard transmission to boot) and was in a lot of pain the whole time. Left a 3" scar.

That's when I was a jet instructor. Pulling up to 5 G's many times every day will give you 'roids or a hernia - or both. As I have just learned, it will also contribute to blowing out a lumbar disc decades later. Gonna have surgery for that next month.

Dark humor addition: When I was diagnosed back then, the Flight Surgeon said, "Alexander the Great had a hernia just like yours. It killed him."

I have the inguinal mesh on both sides. The right side was done in 2005, and the left the end of 2021. I lift 40-50 pound boxes often, and can feel the mesh on both sides when lifting, especially anything much over 20 pounds.

The initial pain went away after the first couple of weeks, but the mesh will let you know when you're exerting yourself, even on my right side after 18 or so years. I followed doctors orders about lifting for a month after the surgeries, and was careful, but again, you'll feel it if you're pushing too hard. Every once in a while the right side will get itchy, and it will drive you bananas, but it always seems to go away.

All the best in your recovery, Both my Dad and brother have mesh as well, and none of us have had any problems long term. Just follow the docs orders about lifting. The first night after both surgeries was not fun, but quickly got better.

I turned 56 a month ago, so we're in the same age boat.

I’ve blown out a hernia out since March2022 repair. Gonna have to get it double meshed or something. I dont even know.


I guess people who get hernia operations are supposed to never ever do anythjng?? WTF

might have opened it up driving T-posts or moving a 300lb rock in our creek crossing. I might have ripped coughing. Who knows. Some bullsheeit for sure.

The first 2 days are sporty, after that things begin to mellow out some, until you pass your first turd. Lots of stool softeners, trust me.


It's been almost 3 years, and I still get twinges of pain once in a while. You'll feel it for awhile, but you'll know when you can start doing things.

It took me at least 2 months before I felt I was going to be ok, painful and limiting in movement.
6 months after surgery I packed a Moose out of the bush solo, 13 years later and many pack outs and I feel great, you will be ok, but it takes time to heal from a core operation like that.

I must be lucky, had one side done laparoscopically about 20 years ago, hardly any pain after surgery and very quick recovery.

I’ve heard that it’s not pleasant! I had the hernia surgery at the navel with a mesh installed…..piece of cake! 😉

Wishing you a quick, complete recovery! memtb

I had it done 20 years ago, was about the same as you. Have patience, it will get better.

One side 56 years ago when I was 5. Back then I spent two days in the hospital. I do not recall much pain.

Left inguinal, 20 yrs ago. Surgery was by slice.

Not bad. Off and on pain, took nothing.Lifting stuff, felt presure on the area. There was a burning sensation off an on, down to my thigh, for a 3 yrs or so, or fish hook in side ouchy now and then.

Been nothing at all last 10 yrs that i can remember.

However, right side has hernia now and so does belly. So two more repairs comin up.

I avoid lifting much as theres no problem at the moment

Had left groin done 15 years ago. Had chronic groin pain after inguinal hernia repair, which was caused by entrapment of the ilioinguinal nerve either by mesh or development of fibrosis. Had nerve removed and zero issues since.

Had my right side done in the Navy in 2006, left side done in 21. First one was the old school way, had a 3-4" scar and nerve damage. Balls turned black and blue, I asked the Dr if there would be swelling down there. He said no and laughed when I said bummer. Lol.

Second was scoped and I healed much faster. Was tender the first week but after that wasn't a big deal. First couple days are the worst. Glad my wife and kids took care of me.
Remember whatever you say down or sit in, you have to get up, plan accordingly. Hardest thing to get over was the urge to hold my guts in when I blew my nose or sneezed. Habit after a few years I guess. Was scheduled for surgery in May 2020, it was delayed because it was deemed elective or non essential. Don't worry, it'll be over before you know it.

Wishing you a speedy recovery. Had mine done laparoscopically in 93. Was about a week before I could stand up straight, another week to be pain free. Took a couple months before I could do sit-ups comfortably. Glad I had it done, though. Good luck!

Old70

I just remembered...When I woke up after my surgery, I felt pretty good.

And then I sneezed.

Do NOT do that, no matter what. You've been warned.

Thanks for all the well wishes. Gas that won't pass is giving me heck right now. I did a dose of castor oil 2 days before surgery and only had some beef broth and tomato soup the day before. I thought I would be cleaned out good, but I feel like I swallowed a basketball right now even though I've still had nothing to eat except broth and 5 saltine crackers.

Stool softeners! If you're taking pain meds you'll want stool softeners for sure.

Sending the wife as soon as I can get her moving. Any particular brand that causes minimal gas?

Post op, maybe a week after cutting, doc comes in to exam room and I hop up and shake his hand.

He was stunned.

Asked me if it hurt, told him hell yeah, but less than before surgery so no big deal AFAIC.

My hernia repair was due to a prev surgeon going exploratory and ripping me. THAT was brutal.

Any surgery, for me, takes 3 days before the guts get moving again. Only take Tylenol.

Going in a week for gallbladder. See how that messes me up.

No idea, I got the cheap stuff and used them as directed. Maybe a little more than directed at first because of what you are experiencing.

I also drink V8 frequently. Before and in lieu of a meal sometimes. Lots of nutrients and minerals etc. Get the low sodium if you need to. I still drink it and think it helps in a lot of ways.

I had that done 10 years ago. You will understand how much you use your core. Very painful couple of days.😂

Prior to my surgery in the prep room...a young guy going in for the same surgery as me says.....I dont see the big deal, mine doesn't bother me, but doc says I needed to get it fixed, what does yours feel like?

I says...you ever get kicked in the nuts, then have someone stand on them?

Post surgery in the recovery room, kid says to me...now I know what you mean LOL.

Had both sides done in 2007 at age 55. Six weeks before I was allowed to go back to work as a carpenter. First week or so post-op was a little touchy. I'd say for a year or so if I stretched a little bit farther than I had before I would get a twinge till I got things back to a full range of motion. Rarely feel anything now fifteen years later.

With any surgery I don't see how incisions can be made without cutting nerves and causing problems at least short term. I've had several surgeries here and there for different things and all of them so far have worked out pretty good.

If you're having trouble with stairs or uphill grades, try going up backwards, it puts much less stress on the incisions and mesh till it gets bonded and healed.

Be patient and let it heal. Eager beavers have more problems. Good Luck!

Had a double done back around 93-94 ish
back to work in 3 days I think,light duty and walked with a cane.
I too could feel mesh or staples every so often,nothing now

Had R side done in 99. I pushed things a little too hard and ended up tearing the stitches out and getting an infection. Got the L side done four years ago. Had a hiatal hernia fixed at the same time. This time I took it easy. Healed up fairly quickly. Lesson - don’t overdo it.

Had Hernia surgery in March of 2021, on St. Patricks day, which was a Wednesday. Checked in at the surgery center at 6:45am, they started at about 7:30am. I was back home before 12:00pm, up walking immediately. Went to the drugstore about 2:00 pm, took it easy for the rest of the day, no problems with movement at all really, took pain medication that day. Got up the next morning (Thursday) got dressed was going to go to work, my wife got up and nixed that idea. I think I took a short walk outside that day. Went to work on Friday. I was on pain meds for a few days then just Tylenol. It was not a walk in the park, but not that bad, I'm not a hero when it comes to that stuff either. Found out I had the Hernia in 1997, it wasn't bothering me until about 2020, a year or so before I had it repaired.

I have had one on the left side for 6 years, iam 56, doesn't bother me, I can pretty much do anything I want except lift brutally heavy objects so I quit working out when made it's appearance 6 years ago. Have heard a lot of horrible stories about the mesh or just the general recovery from surgery. Going to have mine repaired this winter by a surgeon that uses what he calls a Modified Shouldice Technique. Spoke with the surgeon myself a few months ago and he said he uses a twilight sedation, I will be in and out in a a few hours and back to work in a week. Still not looking forward to the whole thing. https://herniasurgeries.com/hernia-doctor-cleveland-ohio/

I don’t know shat about hernias except that I have a ventral hernia and I’m having surgery on Friday. The surgeon said it will be a robotic procedure and mesh will be used. He also said he was going to use some special type of iv painkiller that will wear off after three days but it should knock out the absolute worst part of the pain. Idk but I’m not too excited.

Had it done on the left side back 1993. I remember the surgeon telling me he would install a gor-tex patch. I assume it was a mesh. I remember being sore as hell for about a week. Was off work for 4 weeks. Good advise on the stool softener. You don't want to strain any more than you have to.

Had the right side done about 15 years ago I guess. Double mesh. About a 5-in incision.. My doc was old school.
Absolutely bulletproof repair.
Try not to sneeze for the first few days...

Couple years back. Looked like Mike Tyson went to work on my ball bag. Not bad compared to joint surgeries.

If any of you guys are up near the Detroit area, my surgeon was a guy named Scott Laker MD in Farmington Hills, MI. This guy is about 50 years old, and he is absolute aces. Can't say enough good things about him.

Could be as simple as CNS opioid but a synergised Multimodal (MMA)
would give max effect by targeting multiple mech. of action pathways.

Other benefit of S/MMA is that it provides the required clinical analgesic
effect avoiding side effect of high dosage single opioid.

My son is your age and had it done awhile back. Painful, but worked out OK in the long run. No problems AFIK.

My balls swelled up so big after mine I thought my sack was gonna explode. Looked like I had a big red party balloon where my nuts used to be. Literally couldn't put my pants on for weeks cuz my balls wouldn't fit. Was a bitch just to walk. Called the doc, said WTF ? Said he had to "manipulate" my nut cords during surgery. I said WTF did you manipulate them with, the heel of your boot ? That was 6 years ago now. I've got a 5" scar, It still hurts when I lift something heavy and it's still numb in pubic area below the scar. Thank God my pecker still works and I still have my balls, though I can throw them over my shoulder like a gunny sack now.

Had one side done by slicing, had it redone by lapro couple years later, then a double done 8 years ago by lapro. No pain, no problems, still splitting wood with a maul, and dragging deer. Be 71 end of Feb.

Wound up with 2 after some meds they gave me after getting gutted.

I did not lift anything and had a right and my belly button looked like it was going to pop any minute.

They did warn me about my junk turning black and purple and swelling up but said it won't fall off.

The nurses gave me several ice packs and told me to buy 2 bags of frozen peas or corn.

Put 1 on the area then when it gets warmer put it back and use the other.

I had to get cut because when my guts dropped halfway between my hip and knee it became hard to put them back in.

Did not hurt much and everything has been good,only thing that happens pain wise is if on my feet a long time i get a pain where the work was done.

Sit down or lay down and it goes away.

2 inguinal and 1 umbilical - in one shot.
Was hobbling up and down the driveway the next day - against Dr's orders, but couldn't stand the house anymore. (He wanted me to stay down for ~5 days)
At the six week check-up, the nurse asked how I thought I was doing.
Answered "Just fine". She asked "Why do you say that?"
I told her that the day before, I'd moved a loader bucket from my little trailer onto my flatbed pickup - by myself.
Her response - "If you didn't hurt yourself, you're doing fine. Get out of here - but take it a little easier for a while!"

At 45 I required it.

I was very fit.

Easy surgery... day or two of pain... week of discomfort or so IIRC.

But 10 years later I would still get a jab every once in a while.

After 10 that went away.

https://www.herniasurgeries.com/hernia-doctor-cleveland-ohio/ well just went in early this morning and had my left side inquinal hernia dealt with, back home and told to walk alot for the next several days and will be back to work next week. Over all quit impressed with the simplicity of it and the surgeon himself. Now I understand why people come to this center from all over.

Once in 1999 and twice more in 2016. Nothing to it, they just put a zipper in to change the mesh like a diaper.

It will never, not hurt, but it is still better than before...

I'm 7 weeks since surgery. I'm about to 85% of what I was before injury. I'm a lot better than before surgery but aggravated that I can't go hard like before without pain interrupting.

Worked with a guy who ripped his abdominal wall moving some of our lockers. Note to self, always get the proper equipment and/or personnel. Don’t be a hero or be forced into something unsafe by the boss.

He had several surgeries and began to look like he had an alien trying to get out of his abdomen after his staff infection.

Hell of a fisherman. He retired to an acreage near Arrow Lake BC. He should have died when his artery in his neck blew out. Some how the paramedics kept him alive and met the medvac helicopter.

He died a few years ago. His abdomen looked crazy wierd.

That's easy I've got an 8x10 sheet of that mesh right above my belly button my whole chest muscle is going to split in two from the bottom up that's on top of the mesh hello my belly button from my first hernia

When you say you can't "go hard" Not sure what you're referring to. I would say you're healing up about the same as I did, maybe a little slower. I was up walking immediately, doing just about everything after about 5 days. MD's have made some huge inroads with hernia surgery.

I going in for it next Friday.

I am 55, had a hernia down low when I was 5 or 6. Don't remember much but have not been limited in any activities since then

My brother had the same at about that age.

I think hernias are easier to get over at that age... You get older, it can be challenging.

I don't feel mine much anymore if ever. I try to avoid heavy lifting when I can just because I know what can happen if you do blow it out.

Teeder I urge you to have stool softeners already bought before you go into it. Follow the Dr instructions to the letter during recovery. Walk at least twice a day for 10-20 minutes at a time if it's not uncomfortable.

I do basic calisthenics and cycle. I like sprinting on the bike. Doc said I could ride but to back off if I started hurting. I'm still getting pain if I push hard during a workout. It's not terrible and it has gone away pretty quick, but I can't get that sweat rolling work out yet that I could before I injured myself.

I had one fixed about 15 years ago. The other side popped out maybe 6 years ago. Doc said to just watch it until it starts getting big or feels funny. I'm sure that day is coming......

I had mine repaired two years ago to this day; St. Patrick's Day 2021. I also cycle, My MD told me no cycling or golf for 3 weeks, I resumed both after about 2 1/2 weeks. He told me unlimited walking immediately. I was walking and moving around really good even that first day. About 3 or 5 days of limited use of the pain meds, then just Tylenol. As I mentioned, my hernia was discovered in 1997, I waited, it wasn't bothering me until it did start bothering me.

👍

Well, I had my surgery today. They found 5 holes to fix. They ended up using mesh across the whole lower abdomen.

Pretty sore, but bearable. I've not used the oxy, sticking it out with Tylenol and Ibuprofen, so far.

The wife is waiting on me hand and foot, so it's not all bad. 😁

Glad you came out okay!

I'm going in on the 4th for mine. Just one side though.

Surgeon said he was making a traditional incision, not the laparoscopic.

Mine will be outpatient as well.

Got a bilateral in 1987.. was lifting weight within 30 days...nothing ever bothered me since.. and I still lift heavy weight fairly often... but I was a nurse and paramedic when I got out of the military, and know about body mechanics and how to lift weight without hurting yourself.

I also took care of plenty of GI's in the service that had the surgeries, to include scrubbing in on them.
So I knew A to Z of what to expect...

good luck with the recovery, iam 8 days out on my surgery, day 2 and 3 were the toughest pain wise, long as I was sitting no real pain but I was told to walk 2 to 4 hours a day post surgery,the pain while walking was no joke even with meds, I worked two 12 hour days the last two days, physical labor which was interesting but seems like the activity caused the swelling to almost completely disappear and today I feel great, like someone said in a prior post, use stool softeners, I started stool softeners before my surgery and iam glad I did.

Thanks. I started on the softener last night, just incase. Not looking forward to tomorrow.
I've gone through a tore Achilles and rotator cuff surgeries, hoping this isn't as bad as those.