Can anyone explain to me how you can preserve the ilioinguinal and iliohypogastric nerves in the first surgery. For them to end up with a neuropathies after the surgery? Or how when you have the nerves grow back into the scar tissue and mesh do they have to be severed or impinged for this to happen?

Hi Dinetta,

I'm not sure I totally understand what you are asking, but I wanted to share a few comments with you.

I had inguinal hernia repair done almost 4 years ago. I read in my surgical report that the sugeon was able to visualize the nerves, and took measures to keep them "out of the way" during the repair. They did not have to be cut, and there was no damage to them at the time.

Shortly after the surgery I ended up with constant groin pain. Saw many specialists and tried several different things (meds, PT, etc) before finally coming to the conclusion that it was nerve pain. I had ilioinguinal nerve blocks that helped for 2-3 weeks at a time, then eventually had cryoablation of the ilioinguinal nerve in hopes of more permanent relief.

After the cryo, I did go back to the original surgeon because I still felt there was a lot of scar tissues built up in that area. Some of it from the hernia surgery, and some of it from the subsequent injections and treatments I had. He opened me up and was able to "clean things up". He removed a lot of scar tissue, a few sutures that he described as 'calcified', and looked to see if he thought there were any issues with the nerves that he either needed to free up or sever. He also double-checked to make sure that the original repair was still holding up, which it was.

I don't believe that the nerves were damaged or that anything really went wrong with the initial surgery. I also think that the formation of scar tissue and the reaction of the nerves afterward is very hard to predict, or even visualize (even with all of the advanced scans and x-rays available). Unfortunately, medicine isn't an exact science.

Take care,
Anita

Anita,
I have also looked at my medical documents and they state he found and preserved those nerves in the first surgery. But by the time I had the second surgery they both had neuropathies to them. I most definitely have nerve damage to those nerves which was told to me by both the surgeon that did the surgery and my pain management doctor. My pain was immediate after I had the first surgery and has never gone away just gets continually worse.
I am glad you did mention the fact that you had a lot of scar tissue and they were able to go in and clean it up so I may request to have that done because I think that may alleviate some of my pain.
I was told that this can happen after the surgery is done from scar tissue and mesh can cause this sort of damage as well. I saw read in my file that the modified kugel mesh had came apart in me as well. So who actually knows what caused all the problems. But I thank you for your response and story as well.

Dinetta,

Just one more comment. I'd say that the majority of my pain was alleviated by the cryoablation. I would have probably been okay painwise without the additional surgery for the scar tissue. Not sure how much pain relief I really got from that, other than getting the discomfort of those small "masses" out of my groin area. I'm very active in sports and stuff, and just thought I'd give myself every advantage I could to get back to 100%.

BTW, mine was not a mesh repair, so I know that wasn't an issue in my case.

-Anita

Anita,
I have had radio frequency ablation which is I'm guessing the opposite of what you had done and it did nothing at all and several injection in that area. I had the nerves severed and buried into the muscle only to to still be in so much pain I woke up vomiting this morning. Im a dancer as a hobby it's my passion and I can't even do it without feeling miserable and out of it for days. I just want my life back as well. But thanks again for the side note.