Hello,
I had my first open surgery 4/12/06 for a right inguinal hernia, during that surgery he severed the nerves which subsequently caused me to be in extreme pain for nearly 3 years. After seeing many different doctors, going to emergency rooms, getting injections for pain management and radio frequency ablation. I finally had another surgery by the same doctor who said that he could fix the problem by cutting the nerves and burying them in to the muscles. So on 12/2/09 when they opened me up they found the nerves had grown back into the scar tissue and mesh which was the reason why I was in so much pain. However once again that didn't work either because I woke up screaming in pain and it has not gone away just getting increasingly worse. A couple weeks after the surgery they found that I had an infection and put me on antibiotics. The antibiotics didnt get rid of the infection and I ended on having emergency surgery on 12/30/09 which entailed them removing the mesh and trying to get the infection out of me. This in turn ended with me having a hernia again. Now seven months later I am still in pain, swollen, disfigured and can barely walk at times. I just had a CAT scan and ultrasound and they said they came back normal. I have a lot of scar tissue however they dont see the hernia. No one has been able to explain to me why I am still swollen, in pain and I have the same symptoms I did when I first realized I had the hernia. Pain if I have to urinate, have a bowl movements, gas and sex. I also get this weird bulging in my stomach when the bowel movement is working it's way through. It's as if I a pregnant and you feel the baby moving around inside you. The nerve damage is causing me to have issues with walking, shooting pain down my leg into my foot, numbness of the inner thigh, and muscle spasm. The right side of my stomach, groin and hip are swollen and since I weigh only 120 lbs it's very noticeable and embarrassing. I just want answers to what is actually going on and what can I do to get better. I am so tired of feeling like this, with the pain getting so bad at times I am vomiting and barely sleeping. Although it is a relief that I am not the only one out here suffering it still doesn't take away from my depression and the feeling of helpless. Can you please help me, I just want my life back? Thanks
sounds like you need to see a true Neurologist. It sounds like you have what I have RSD/CRPS. It is a degenerative nerve disorder brought on by trauma to a selected area and nerves. I was diagnosed as having this condition after 2 attemps to relieve me of pain, due to a failed hernia operation. If you have this condition it is not curable. The best thing you can hope for is to be able to put it into remission, of which I have been unsuccessful for 2 years. Do you still have a mesh inside of you ? If so you may want to look into removal.
Thank you I appreciate your feedback, this is the best answer I have gotten to point me in a direction to look in to and bring to my doctor for them to look into. I read your post yesterday that you sent to someone else and it gave me a pause that maybe this is what I do have. I am so gald you did respond back to me. So I am going to look it up get some more background on it and let you know what I find out. Thank you again.
I am glad that I was able to at least point you in a direction that may lead to you being pain free once and for all. Nobody should have to endure all that we have gone thru, individually or as a group. I am still in search of my own pain free ending but it seems that the more I do, the more elusive my pain free life becomes. I have been thru the gamut of no guarenteed procedures, with only a slight chance of hope that the procedure or injection would help me. I have been looking for years for the more non-invasive procedures that might have been able to help, of which I have not had any luck. I have been to other surgeons who are in agreement that I am looking at a 4th very invasive surgery to remove all the scarring along with the spermatic cord and testicle and also with no guarentee. I have been told that any other procedures could make my condition even worse and make it spread, so you can see how reluctant I am. With the amount of pain that I am in every day, I surely don't want to make it worse than it is. When I can sleep at night which is not very often, it is not a restful sleep. I am up and down all night because of the pain, I start my day at a 4 on a pain scale of 10, but within hours my pain level shoots up to 6,7,8 out of 10, as you see, the longer I am on my feet, the worse the pain becomes.
It certainly has not been a picnic for me, but I will continue to search for an answer.
Dinetta, I wish you the best as I do with everyone else who is suffering from hernia repairs gone bad, there are answers and procedures for some but not all.
The sad truth is that you probably WILL have to travel to find resolution... You're not alone in your search for pain reduction and getting your life back after pain complications related to hernia surgery, and what those of us who are in the middle of this process know is that you'll have to find and work with someone very experienced with and skilled at addressing these issues. And, as you note, even then there is no guarantee you will find relief (been there done that).
There are three discussion boards you should be looking at. Google using "hernia discussion" and you should find them, and on them you'll be able to read detailed discussions of many issues important to your situation. You'll also find names of many of the leading surgeons who may be able to help you. I've been reading these boards for awhile (and doing a lot of other research, including reading medical journals, etc.), and I've never seen anyone mentioned in the Denver area. I live in upstate New York and will probably travel to either LA; Columbia, Missouri; Sarasota, FL; or... for my third surgery. My first surgery was botched locally, and my second surgery (by hernia specialist Dr. Goodyear) has, sadly, actually created more pain, not less, so it didn't solve the problem. Onward I go, working with a wonderful pain management specialist who, interestingly, has been through the same thing, and looking for another surgeon.
Yes, it's a huge drag, not easy, and incredibly time consuming and frustrating/angering. Yes, it TOTALLY screws up your life!!!
Do your best to stay calm... all best and good luck...
Here, off the top of my head, are at least some of the doctors often listed as specialists to consider for redo/repair. You can search them all online...
Bruce Ramshaw -- Columbia, Missouri
Kevin Peterson -- Las Vegas
Shirin Towfigh -- LA
Peter Billing -- Seattle area
Miami (FL) Hernia Center
Jonathan Yunis -- Sarasota, FL
Todd Heniford -- Charlotte, NC
William Meyers -- Drexel Univ and Hahneman Hospital in Philly
Dr. Grischkan -- Cleveland
Dr. Ferzil -- NYC
I think it is important to keep the list above that "Another Jeff" listed above. All the above surgeons are top surgeons and anyone with post hernia pain should consider them. I have heard mostly praise about all of them.
I just found this site and I am going through similiar stuff. I am vomiting, pain in my abdomin, burning, sharp pains running down my leg and a pinching sensation. I had femual hernia surgery two years ago and now I am not doing so well. Wondering what is going on. Go to the hospital but all they do is give me pain medicine and then send me home. Hope we can figure this out.
