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415684 tn?1257329318

Hernia Repair

Sorry I have not been keeping up with this board.  Things are a little hectic around home and at work.  Having said that, I would like to know if any of you have had a hernia repair OF THE ENTIRE scar.  I have a hernia to the left of my navel and the surgeon wants to put mesh down the entire length of the scar to prevent further tearing.  Have any of you had this procedure and how "bad" is it?  I am supposed to have it done laparascopicly (sp) and while I am "open" my gyn/onc is going to look around with his camera for cancer as best he can.  My CA which had dropped to normal on tamoxifen at the end of Dec. 07 is going in the other direction since the beg. of the year and a lymph node near my liver showed up on a PET/CT scan.

Anyway .. any of you had the above surgery.  I need a cardiac clearance first.

Thanks .. prayers & hugs coming your way.

Judy C
8 Responses
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415684 tn?1257329318
Thanks everyone for your help.  Chris, I hope your hernia stays where it is.  I think mine came as a result of bronchitis in the Spring and some really hard coughing.  Kasie, thanks for easing my mind on after effects.  I went on line and it seemed to be no big deal .. then the surgeon layed "pain pills for a week to 10 days" and possible after effects for up to 6 months (minor aches).  They are doing it laparascopically (sp) anyway .. so no long cuts to even worry about.

Thanks again to everyone ....

Judy C
Helpful - 0
225036 tn?1294509400
I have had mesh put over an incisional hernia and it was a piece of cake.  They made an incision about 4 inches long, and sewed up the hernia and put the mesh in to keep it from happenig again.  I was up and around like normal the next day.  I hope it goes as well for you.  Good luck

Hugs and prayers,
Kasie
Helpful - 0
272338 tn?1252280404
JC,
  Thanks for telling us why your Dr decided to do this. Like you and Joanne both, I also have a hernia in the same place. When I first noticed it, I was scared to death, thinking it was another tumor. (it was about the sixe of a golfball) My onc put my fears to rest telling me it was just a hernia. I found it last fall and over the course of the winter I had several colds and all of the coughing I did has made it much larger. My onc has said that unless it starts causing me problems, he wants to just leave it alone. But that is mainly due to the fact that I am on non-stop chemo, and he wants me to keep my energy for the chemo insted of surgery recovery. Also he does not want me off of chemo for that long if we can help it.
  I do know of a few gals that have had hernia repair and done just fine. Which ever way you decided to go, I wish you luck.
   Chris
Helpful - 0
415684 tn?1257329318
Well, the hernia felt like a lump .. so I was relieved when the CT/PET showed a hernia versus "mass".  Having said that, it does bulge out some and it only hurts it I lean against the counter, sit-up quickly from lying on the couch, etc.  We decided to do the hernia repair as an avenue to have my insides scoped looking for cancer.  My  CA is up from December (from 20 - 54) and the only visible site on the PET is the lymph node.  The surgeon said there is no sense in just fixing the one spot ... but we should reinforce the entire incision (against further hernias).  His theory is that since I had IP chemo, the underside of the incision may not have healed properly and there are "probably" more weak spots (plus the fact I had 2 C-sections prior to the cancer surgery).  I seriously doubt I will have more debulking ... It is my opinion from talking with friends, if there would be a tumor, they would not remove it ... just try to shrink it with chemo.  I ran the hernia surgery by a couple nurse friends and they all agree that the whole thing should be "shored" up.  I just concerned about after the surgery and what to expect.  I am told I could have minor discomfort up to 6 months.  Yikes!!
Helpful - 0
349465 tn?1289081764
Did they tell you why this is happening to you? Did you rip it or tear it after your initial surgery?
I am so sorry that you are having this problem.  There is enough to deal with without additional problems.  My scar is still sensitive and it cannot STAND for elastic to be anywhere near it.

Let us know what happens.
Teresa
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
My mother had a mesh put during her initial debulking surgery and not due to a hernia problem.  She developed a nodule at the site from which they drained fluid to diagnose her OVC.  She is now 4 months post op but still feels lot of stretch internally at the mesh site.  Other than that she has had no problems.  She was even able to take IP chemo with this mesh inside.

-OVCIndia
Helpful - 0
315 tn?1230998574
I am curious as to what advice you get as I have a hernia in the same exact area of yours.  Is yours bulging right now.  mine went up around Nov,and then seems to go back down to normal in a few months.  So I am in no pain.  I would just wonder what this surgery would do for your options in the future if you needed another debulking surgery...G*d  forbid??  Good luck please keep us posted on what you find out.(((hugz))~~Joanne
Helpful - 0
543028 tn?1282428826
hi judy

my hubbys grandma had that kind of repair done six different times in her lifetime to the exact same spot and always said it was a pretty quick recovery ... she wasnt an OVCA patient but she was a diabetic
i hope this helps a lil and people who are actually in the know answer for u
prayerz
sharon
Helpful - 0
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