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Hernia and Hepatitis C

I found out yesterday at my annual checkup that I have a hernia right where my belly button is.  I'm 57 years old and am genotype 1b, infected in 1976, failed all three treatment regimens.  It appears that a few other people have had this same issue.  Ultrasound in next couple of weeks will show the hernia, its size, etc.  I'm just kind of stunned because I've never had a hernia anywhere and it seems like the hernia would result from too much swelling and narrowing of blood vessels in my abdomen to make this tissue push out like it is.  Also, after 35 years of having this disease and failing all three treatment attempts, the focus of my treatment has now been changed from curing me by getting rid of the virus to keeping me stable enough with all of my medical conditions so that my body will be able to tolerate treatment with the new drugs coming out in a few years.  I really don't see that happening, especially with this hernia just popping up (ha-ha).  I'm no expert, but I consider myself pretty well-informed about this disease and the various treatment options available.  It would seem to me that the hernia would be caused by liver swelling, scarring and blood vessels over-pressured from too little space in the abdomen, resulting in the hernia.  Ultrasounds every six months from now on for the sole purpose of screening for liver cancer, nothing else.  It seemed like this doctor yesterday, a brilliant HepC guru, was a little put out by my local doctor not keeping a close enough eye on me in that he should have detected this hernia sooner and also should be staying on top of things like making sure I got my annual ultrasounds.  This came up when the doctor yesterday asked if I'd had my ultrasound this year and my answer was that I had no clue.  I don't remember.  Oh, well, maybe things aren't as bleak as they look to me right now, but it looks kind of hopeless.
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Avatar universal
I've always noticed on my ultrasound results it says "no ascites, no varices, no decompensation.  A well-developed cirrhosis is not seen."  I had to ask my doctor what "ascites" meant.  My guess is I have developed ascites or something.

What I meant by the treatment focus has changed as of day before yesterday is that I have always had annual ultrasounds and everything was fine.  It was only as of day before yesterday my doctor changed his approach from trying to cure to keeping me healthy enough to undergo treatment when the new drugs become available.  His ultrasound order reads in part, "Questions to be answered:  HCC surveillance."  My best to you, Hector.  Thanks for your help.
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Avatar universal
Thank you for your prompt responses!  My daughter had attended the appointment with me and said the guru doc told me they were treating me AS IF I had advanced cirrhosis, not that I HAVE advanced cirrhosis, but I heard him say that my last biopsy was in 2005 and showed Stage 3/4 bridging fibrosis and scarring, no cirrhosis, and so I must have cirrhosis by now, even early-stage.  My daughter said guru doc had told me he has patients who have had cirrhosis for 20 years, as it only progresses at a rate of 2%-3% per year, but I told her the ultrasound order said "HCC Screening", Hepatocellular Carcinoma/Liver Cancer.  How big do these things get?  Can I still go for my walk/runs?  About 4 miles 3-4 times per week.  I will let you know when I get the results of my ultrasound.  I'm with you, slideman, in wanting to get it fixed before it gets bigger or entraps intestine in with it, etc.  Goddamnit, I wish the VX-950 had been what they said it would be!  And now I can't take it anyway because my last treatment failure was on Infergen, and after 9 weeks I developed retinal hemorrhaging.  But overall I feel really good.  That's the best indicator, isn't it?
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446474 tn?1446347682
Hi. Welcome Chris.

Since you are having surveillance for liver cancer every 6 months I assume you have stage 4 cirrhosis.
Ever have ascites? Fluid build up in the abdomen. Where the abdomen becomes tight and distended? This is one of the complications of advanced cirrhosis sometimes called decompensated cirrhosis or End-Stage Liver Disease (ESLD).

Ascites related hernias, are common in patients with ascites, they are caused by higher than normal pressure in the abdomen (fluid) that can cause both umbilical and groin hernias.

I have ESLD and liver cancer. When I first decompensated after having anesthesia for an unrelated condition I had one very bad case of ascites where my abdomen expanded so far I found it hard to breath or eat as most of the space in my abdomen was filled with fluid. The episode created a hernia and deformed my belly button. As I have ESLD surgery to repair it is really the least of my problems. And any elective surgery are not recommended as the risks of infection, anesthesia and other complication are far worse than a harmless hernia. Unless there is severe pain caused by the intestines getting twisted or caught in the opening, surgery for cirrhotics is not recommended.

Let us know what the ultrasound results are.
Hector
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Avatar universal
I had a hernia in the same place, and have 3 or 4 friends with the same thing. I had mine repaired and a biopsy done at the same time. However of all the people I know with this condition I am the only one with hep. In fact as I recall I had the hernia fixed twice, the first time I had not been diagnosed with hep yet. Its not all that uncommon to have this type of hernia. You do need to have it fixed before it causes other trouble. From what I know of these ruptures, its not related to  hep. I was born with it, and just got licky to have done something (work construction) and made it worse.
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789911 tn?1368636783
Dont have any experience with that but Im sure some more smarties will jump and and give you the low down.  Sounds like your on the right tract.  Sorry about your treatment failures.  Praying for the researchers to  get a cure for you soon!
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