Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Hernia Sugery?

Had the Kevlar mesh added a few years ago.......the pain wasn't terrible (I used the Oxys the morning after surgery and flushed the rest). Don't exert yourself!
We got an ice storm two days after I had surgery that took down a ton of trees. I had no choice but to be out running a chainsaw to clear the driveway.........and paid for it in spades!

Does it have a garter belt?

...

I had the mesh surgery done 20 years ago. I think they called it the Trendellenberg procedure. They used staples to close the incisions. For the first week there was a lot of pain. One thing I noticed is that if I even thought about sitting up or moving, I would get zinged with a sharp pain. I was apparently unconsciously tightening my abdominal muscles in preparation for the move.

If you live in a fairly small town or city, I recommend doing a little research and going to an well experienced surgeon in a larger city. They get a lot more practice at surgery of a specific type. A botched hernia surgery killed my father-in-law. The local surgeon unknowingly nicked the intestine and the local hospital didn't do anything for 30 hours or more. They only sent him to a hospital in Spokane when he was going downhill from sepsis. By then it was too late to save him. You want a surgeon that has done hundreds of these operations.

I had a triple repaired. It hurt for the first 3-4 days. Painful. Stay ahead of the pain if you can. Good luck.

had a right side proceedure done in 2011. Piece of cake. In, and out, outpatient surgery suite. Quick healing, super glued me back together. Zero issues ever since. Sure made life easier.

I had one fixed this last March. Did the arthoscope and mesh. Couldn't stand straight for 3 days w/o it feeling like bees were stinging me in the area between the 3 small cuts and the actual hernia sight. After that, not much to it. Just do as the doc says. If I lift anything heavy, I can feel a pain in the hernia area, but after a while it goes away. Other than that it doesn't bother me.

Same here, back in 2008 or so. Three small incisions and a little mesh, super-glued the incisions back up. I took it easy and watched tv a couple days, then went back to work at the office, being careful about using/bracing my core a lot. It was rather easy to get over. I had my wisdom teeth cut out a few months later and it was worse than the hernia job. My hernia was a mild bulge on the left side, maybe 4 inches below my beltline.

Please take some laxatives b4 surgery. That way it won't feel like you are chitting a fence post. 6 weeks for me. Musta hurt my mangina.


The wife and girls said they wanted to put one of those pet surgery cones on me so I wouldn't lick my incision. Smart ass bitches.

You've been given very good advice by the others on this board, If you'll allow it, I'd like to add my .02 cents, having had two double hernias repaired.

Be very selective of your surgeon (not all are as good as others) and then listen to him. An other patient who had the surgery the same day as I took a cab home from the hospital and went to work the same day. Ripped himself wide open and required a lot of painful repair work. Because the surgery doesn't take all that long, it's easy to think of it as minor. It's not. Recuperation period is about three weeks although it may take longer for a full recovery.

Your recliner will be your best friend. Because you never fully recline in one your abdominal muscles aren't stretched as they would be lying in bed; speeds up recuperation and diminishes pain. After a week or two in the recliner your first time in bed will be uncomfortable but not painful. This'll help you get off those awful pain meds much sooner. Both times, I've taken Percoset (sp)upon arrival home, slept for twelve hours and switched to Tylonal as required for the duration. Get off that pain medication as quickly as possible to avoid addiction.

Best of luck to you and I'll throw in a prayer for you tonight.

Alonzo Tubbs

Had an adominal one, if they cut you open recovery is rough, if they use the incision and camera, not nearly as bad..had one of each.
If they cut you, you'll need help getting off the bed, and plan on straddling the toilet bowl and letting it drain out on its own, never realized you use your stomach muscles taking a piss until the morning after.

Thank you, Alonzo!

I'm planning on doing away with the pain meds when I exit the facility.

Everybody's entitled to their opinion but one size does not fit all. I had an inguinal done laparoscopically 8-10 years ago and I had almost zero pain, missed no work, and didn't worry about exerting myself. Whatsoever.

Wow , if I had read some of these comments about a year and a half ago , I would have been worried . Maybe because of other Medical problems , I had lost about 50 pounds and maybe that was the reason I had so few problems . I had two Hernias "meshed" ,,,,,, a few inches on either side of my naval . Went home the next day with little pain . Might have used a few Pain Meds for a few days . When I was leaving the Hospital I did lift a big bag and was told to cut it out . The only thing I remember is that a large part of the groin area turned black after 2 or 3 days and I checked in to my Primary Care who called the Surgeon and he said : " Dont worry , the natural color will return in about a week . I do remember when I went in for my Consultation with the Surgeon , he asked if I would mind if he brought in some Student Doctors . I said " sure , if they don't touch me " . Anyway , usually they bring in 1 or 2 Students . He brings in about a dozen and then he has me stand up on a raised platform , and says to drop my pants . Normally , I'm not very self conscious but after having lost 50 pounds , my stomach area looks pretty flabby . So there I stand wondering what to say next . I did think to say : " Prepare to be amazed " , but decided that since this was my first meeting with This Surgeon that I ought to ask some Technical questions . BTW , that Polymer Mesh is really expensive .

Sorry to hear about all you that had problems. Mayo owed me big time, so they flew in a Surgeon from South Africa just to do mine. It was over in a few hours, with mesh and absolutely no pain. I was on my way home home in a few hours. With no pain at all. That was 20 years ago. Still no side effects or problems. I guess it boils down is that you get what you pay for. The Doc that did it said he did over 3,000 of these, so I guess he knew what he was doing. Never went back for stitch removal. Left Rochester in the afternoon and was at the local Gin mill in Wisconsin a few hours later. I really do feel for the people who went through so much grief. I was told that a Hernia surgery was a piece of cake. I guess not. Doc's name was Van Heerdin.

I had a right inguenal (sp) repair done in 1988.
My Dr. would not use the mesh.
He pulled a muscle over for the closure.
Never an issue.
There are lawsuits about mesh procedures, talk to your DR.

Big Hernias, I had a big one on my right side are best treated with open cut vs laparascopy. Success rate is much higher. The other side was much smaller. DIdn't worry about exerting yourself ????? I had little pain as well, I knew it was there but doubt I took any oxycodene.

FWIW, mine is an epigastric hernia. Above my belly button, under my sternum. I can tell the tear is about 4-5" long.

Laid back on the bed one evening, and it looked like I had a softball sticking out of my stomach.

I'm real careful to keep things in place now. It seems like it's more of an issue when getting up, or laying down.

One of the guys I work with had an umbilical hernia fixed last year. Was back to work in a week. Said he went home from the surgery and banged the old lady forthwith. Another friend of mine had an umbilical and two inguinals done and was laid up for 6 weeks. Said it hurt like hell for a month. I guess it just depends on the person and/or the skill of the doctor.