A year and a half ago I had a double inguinal heria repair done using the tension-free surgical mesh with plug that is placed on both sides of the abdominal wall. The surgeon used the open method of surgery. Within two months one side had healed nicely but the other side had "pulled out" and is, today, a reoccuring hernia.
I was told by a surgeon that to repair the reoccuring hernia from the front side using the same tension-free double-mesh technique would mean that he would have to cut scar tissue and a nerve, which would leave me with a permenant numb area on the front of my lower abdomen for the rest of my life. He said that the cutting of the nerve is done to preclude pain that the patient would experience for the rest of his life. He also said that his surgery professor actually performed the same procedure on him, cutting the nerve, when he was in residency.
Another surgeon said that he would avoid having to cut the nerve that is bound up in the scar tissue on the outside wall of the abdomen by using an arthroscopic procedure to place a mesh on the inside of the abdomen. He also said that the mesh placed on the inside wall of the abdomen would be held in place by many tiny titanium screws.
My opinion is that there must be a better way to do this than to have to cut a nerve. Also, I'm not thrilled about having many titanium screws in my abdomen.
1. I would appreciate your comments on these things.
2. Also, do you have a preferred procedure?
3. I'm in southeast Florida, so it may not be possible to travel to Pennsylvania for hernia surgery. If you could please recommend a hernia specialist here I would be very appreciative.
Having the nerve cut is something that many surgeons will do on a regular basis, some even on the first hernia surgery based on the condition of the patient. The feeling of numbness will have no effect on your life, I have the nerves cut on both sides and I don't even notice it. A well performed hernia surgery will not leave you with any long term pain, this is true for re-current hernia's unless there were problems from your first surgery. The nerve shouldn't have to be cut, but nothing is for certain until the doctor has started the surgery.
The procedure done at North Penn is well explained under the Technique heading.
The Hernia Institute of Florida is located near you, and uses the same procedure as North Penn. A couple people have posted on here in the past that have gone there, and had good results.
P.S. Jeff, thanks for your input. I looked up the Hernia Institute of Florida and it's in south Miami. That's an hour and a half from me, which would be very difficult to get a ride for out-patient surgery. Do you know of anything in Palm Beach or north Broward counties? (That would include everything Jupiter, West Palm Beach, Lake Worth, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton and Deerfield Beach.) Thanks again!!
No, I am not a doctor, but I had a couple hernia surgeries that went bad and left me with severe chronic pain. With the research I have done on my own, contact with other patients in my condition I've learned a little bit about what happens. Plus I probably had more face time with Dr. Goodyear than any of his other hernia patients.
If you can't get someone to take you, look at getting a hotel near the clinic for a couple days, and arrange for a taxi to take you to and from the hospital. The Hernia Institute of Florida can help with all of this, since they get many patients from out of the area. In the end, it may be a littel more work up front, but it will pay off in the long run.
I agree with Jeff - you go to a provider based on expertise not convenience. The likelihood of any problems down the line is greatly reduced if you find someone with loads of experience and has demonstrated great outcomes in nearly all cases.
Just a minor grammatical point - there are no such words as reoccuring, or reoccur -- it's recurring and recur. Very common mistake that I have even heard world leaders make. Another common one is the double negative irregardless.
An extra note, Dr. Goodyear did not perform my original surgeries, he has extensive knowledge in how to deal with hernia surgeries that went bad. Also since my original surgeries were 'open' I know long the healing process is on those, the open surgery used by North Penn and Florida are not a tradtional open as people understand them. Much smaller incision, and much faster recovery.
