Aa
Pain after Inguinal Hernia Operation
Hello, I hope you can help me.In March 2007 I had an Inguinal Hernia repair operation on both sides after I had experienced bad groin pain for about six weeks. About three weeks after the surgery, I developed testicular pain in both left and right testicle with the left one swelling up dramatically. After going for a scan it was observed that I had a hydrocele on my left side. Six weeks after My original operation, I was hospitalised after I developed severe pain on the right side of my groin. The pain quickly spread to my scrotum and testes. Fearing that I had testicular torsion the urology team performed a procedure where they attached the testicles to my scrotum. They also repaired the hydrocele. They found no evidence of torsion. This was the first of my flare ups. These flare ups have continued to the present day (September 8th 2007) on an intermittent basis but almost always starting on right groin and radiating downwards. For several months it was believed I had epididymitis but despite numerous antibiotics being given, there was no change in my condition. I have had a CT scan which came up clear. Recently I have been prescribed Lyrica 75 gram. This is apparently the strongest painkiller that can be given and it has had no effect. No other painkiller has worked during a flare up. My pain management doctor has said I may need an operation if the situation persists. Have you ever come across a similar situation? I am a 26 year old male otherwise in quite good health. My problem has interfered greatly with the quality of life I have now. Thanks for your help
I do not mean to frighten anyone by any means. Nor do I wish to downplay my experience from a Sports Hernia Repair operation I had about 3 years ago. My injury started one night having a magical moment with my wife. Immediately after I... finished I felt something was wrong with my right testicle. It was a slow burn and no pronounced wow I just blanked my blank. It was just a weird feeling of... something was wrong.
The next few days the pain got worse and I went to emergency. They gave me pain meds and sent me on my miserable way. The pain kept getting worse with it feeling like with every heart beat my right testicle was getting slapped with a steel ruler with about the same speed one would serve a ping pong ball. Not really soft and not hard as hell, but you can imagine what it would feel like if someone slapped your right testicle with a steel ruler with force.
By the next weekend I was in agony and went to the closest city's General hospital emergency dept. That turned into perhaps the worst 5 days in my life. After one ER Doc did the Inguinal Ring test the pain got worse. When I say worse I mean I was screaming, hyperventilating, and almost levitating off the table with pain! He told me to be ready for emergency Hernia surgery. The surgeon, Dr. Tadrous a pompous arrogant surgeon, had other plans though. Because nothing showed on imaging there was no way he was going to operate. The next five days I was observed and asked the same questions over and over.
Rule # 1 - If you are admitted for observation use a marker and draw on your skin where it hurts and on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the worst pain you can imagine write that number down. After 48 hours of observation I was asked by a dozen doctors "where does it hurt" "how did it start" "On a scale of 1-10..." you get the picture. One night at about 4 in the morning a doctor came over and started asking me those questions again. I was so fn frustrated I tried to grab her pen so that I could initiate Rule # 1. SHe freaked out thinking I was trying assault her.
Rule # 2 - never try to grab a pen from a doctor at 4 in the morning.
No one could figure it out. Before I was sent up to the cancer ward the head of surgery followed by a dozen interns showed up to look at me. He asked everyone if they had examined my feet. I was thinking what the hell does the feet have to do with me screaming with testicular pain? He pulled my socks off and immediately started looking between my toes. I was confused for about 15 seconds then realized he thought I was a drug user and because no one had taken my socks off he figured he hit gold and was about to see "track marks" what ever that looks like.
RULE # 3 - Without imaging results that show a tear most people you encounter in the medical field will think you are a drug user, be prepared and do not despair. Which leads me to
Rule # 4 - You are entitled to live free of pain if the meds are available and work!
After 5 days I was discharged. The pain subsided enough that I wasn't screaming and they wanted me the hell out of there. After 4 CT Scans 1 of them high contrast, ultrasounds up the yin yang and nothing to show for it they were not happy with being stumped. They ruled out anything that was going to kill me ie cancer and were happy to see the door hit my *** on the way out.
I spent the next several months on the internet trying to figure out what I had and stumbled on Sports Hernia. I explored the possibility of this being the problem but in Ontario, where I live, the medical field does not recognize a Sports Hernia as something real and after several specialist visits I learned that no one was going to operate until I found my saviour, Dr. Mark Aubrey in Ottawa. He is a Sports Med Doc and realizes that a Sports Hernia does exist and he referred me to Dr. Rae Brown in Montreal.
I saw Dr. Brown, a very nice older man with fingers the size of sausages. He clinically diagnosed me with Sports Hernia. He looked at me over his glasses after the examination and said "I'm not God, but that's what you have" referring to Sports Hernia. After all that I had been through I was nearly in tears. Well, not really but after I found out the operation was not covered by OHIP Insurance and was going to cost me $4000 I was in tears. I couldn't afford it. After a few more attempts to get it done in Ontario under OHIP I resigned myself to the fact that I had to borrow the money from my mom for the operation. It was getting unbearable dealing with Emergency staff not believing me I had a Sports Hernia and wondering why I hadn't had the surgery if thats what it was. Enter... the money factor. They are rich I am not.
Rule # 5 - Save Money. If your insurance doesn't recognize a Sports Hernia it is going to cost about $4000 in Montreal and I have heard up to $10,000 in the USA.
I eventually had the surgery in a private clinic in Montreal. Wow Terry Cloth Robes, nice slippers and a private room for recovery. The Doc came in and told me I had 3 tears and an entrapped Ilioinguinal Nerve. It was the worst he had seem ever and he has done hundreds of the operation.
I will continue with my story tomorrow. I have to go just now.
The next few days the pain got worse and I went to emergency. They gave me pain meds and sent me on my miserable way. The pain kept getting worse with it feeling like with every heart beat my right testicle was getting slapped with a steel ruler with about the same speed one would serve a ping pong ball. Not really soft and not hard as hell, but you can imagine what it would feel like if someone slapped your right testicle with a steel ruler with force.
By the next weekend I was in agony and went to the closest city's General hospital emergency dept. That turned into perhaps the worst 5 days in my life. After one ER Doc did the Inguinal Ring test the pain got worse. When I say worse I mean I was screaming, hyperventilating, and almost levitating off the table with pain! He told me to be ready for emergency Hernia surgery. The surgeon, Dr. Tadrous a pompous arrogant surgeon, had other plans though. Because nothing showed on imaging there was no way he was going to operate. The next five days I was observed and asked the same questions over and over.
Rule # 1 - If you are admitted for observation use a marker and draw on your skin where it hurts and on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the worst pain you can imagine write that number down. After 48 hours of observation I was asked by a dozen doctors "where does it hurt" "how did it start" "On a scale of 1-10..." you get the picture. One night at about 4 in the morning a doctor came over and started asking me those questions again. I was so fn frustrated I tried to grab her pen so that I could initiate Rule # 1. SHe freaked out thinking I was trying assault her.
Rule # 2 - never try to grab a pen from a doctor at 4 in the morning.
No one could figure it out. Before I was sent up to the cancer ward the head of surgery followed by a dozen interns showed up to look at me. He asked everyone if they had examined my feet. I was thinking what the hell does the feet have to do with me screaming with testicular pain? He pulled my socks off and immediately started looking between my toes. I was confused for about 15 seconds then realized he thought I was a drug user and because no one had taken my socks off he figured he hit gold and was about to see "track marks" what ever that looks like.
RULE # 3 - Without imaging results that show a tear most people you encounter in the medical field will think you are a drug user, be prepared and do not despair. Which leads me to
Rule # 4 - You are entitled to live free of pain if the meds are available and work!
After 5 days I was discharged. The pain subsided enough that I wasn't screaming and they wanted me the hell out of there. After 4 CT Scans 1 of them high contrast, ultrasounds up the yin yang and nothing to show for it they were not happy with being stumped. They ruled out anything that was going to kill me ie cancer and were happy to see the door hit my *** on the way out.
I spent the next several months on the internet trying to figure out what I had and stumbled on Sports Hernia. I explored the possibility of this being the problem but in Ontario, where I live, the medical field does not recognize a Sports Hernia as something real and after several specialist visits I learned that no one was going to operate until I found my saviour, Dr. Mark Aubrey in Ottawa. He is a Sports Med Doc and realizes that a Sports Hernia does exist and he referred me to Dr. Rae Brown in Montreal.
I saw Dr. Brown, a very nice older man with fingers the size of sausages. He clinically diagnosed me with Sports Hernia. He looked at me over his glasses after the examination and said "I'm not God, but that's what you have" referring to Sports Hernia. After all that I had been through I was nearly in tears. Well, not really but after I found out the operation was not covered by OHIP Insurance and was going to cost me $4000 I was in tears. I couldn't afford it. After a few more attempts to get it done in Ontario under OHIP I resigned myself to the fact that I had to borrow the money from my mom for the operation. It was getting unbearable dealing with Emergency staff not believing me I had a Sports Hernia and wondering why I hadn't had the surgery if thats what it was. Enter... the money factor. They are rich I am not.
Rule # 5 - Save Money. If your insurance doesn't recognize a Sports Hernia it is going to cost about $4000 in Montreal and I have heard up to $10,000 in the USA.
I eventually had the surgery in a private clinic in Montreal. Wow Terry Cloth Robes, nice slippers and a private room for recovery. The Doc came in and told me I had 3 tears and an entrapped Ilioinguinal Nerve. It was the worst he had seem ever and he has done hundreds of the operation.
I will continue with my story tomorrow. I have to go just now.
I'm 63 now. I had a left inguinal hernia repair in my 20s, with no recurrence, and no lasting pain or problems.
Six months ago, my right side tore, and I had an open inguinal and umbilical hernia repair four weeks ago. I was sore for a couple of days, then felt pretty good. Incisions closed, hardly any pain. I have been walking a lot, and not lifting much. Just in the last few days I have increasing pain, still not bad, at the top of my scrotum and in the muscle just above my left testicle. I already had an enlarged prostate, but now it takes longer to urinate, and it's a bit painful.
None of this is the kind of pain others here have described. My testicle "dangles", it's not swollen or tender. I just have minor pain around the inguinal canal and in the abdominal muscles, getting a little worse each day, but still not bad enough to even need an aspirin.
I'll pay close attention and get to the doc if it gets worse. Any symptoms to watch for?
Fred
Six months ago, my right side tore, and I had an open inguinal and umbilical hernia repair four weeks ago. I was sore for a couple of days, then felt pretty good. Incisions closed, hardly any pain. I have been walking a lot, and not lifting much. Just in the last few days I have increasing pain, still not bad, at the top of my scrotum and in the muscle just above my left testicle. I already had an enlarged prostate, but now it takes longer to urinate, and it's a bit painful.
None of this is the kind of pain others here have described. My testicle "dangles", it's not swollen or tender. I just have minor pain around the inguinal canal and in the abdominal muscles, getting a little worse each day, but still not bad enough to even need an aspirin.
I'll pay close attention and get to the doc if it gets worse. Any symptoms to watch for?
Fred
I am a fit and healthy just turned 65. I exercise walk every day and have a good diet and WAS active. I had my open double hernia done about early June 2012 only because I was told by my GP that I should have it done as they can strangulate???? Bear in mind I had no discomfort or pain other than went overdoing the lifting. I was informed by the surgeon to have both done at the same time, I now question this. He told me I would walk a bit bent over for a few days and to increase activity etc etc. The op went OK I was not told otherwise, was in overnight and released the next day, I was numb from just above both knees to my upper abdomen. I took it easy for a few days and just walked around the house and then increased to my usual walks. A week later had the bandages removed and then had a follow up some 4 weeks after and I told the Surgeon there was some fairly heavy discomfort, he said that was normal and it would all go away. Since then 3 months later my life has totally changed. Any touching in the groin area including clothes rubbing on there or even thinking about it is is NO NO. Including sexual activity which I am scared to even try. Went back last week and told him I was suffering, had pain all of my waking hours, pinching, pulling, numbness from the base of my penis extending both sides for about 3 inches, he examined me for the normal cough thing and said there was nothing wrong, I told him I can lift things like 20 Kgs if I have to no problems its not that its the constant lingering pain, cant walk sit stand, **** ****, sex, nothing. Told me to give it another 7 weeks and come back if it still persists. Wow in this day and age you get this from a surgeon, but from reading this post it sounds like the norm. I know there is something wrong, what I do not know, I should not have this jabbing electric shock through my body up my spine to my head making me light headed or mildly dizzy, I can walk of and do not loose balance but wow what a pain. Funny thing is I sleep ok until I have to turn over but it is not as bad as when some weight gets on it like standing. Anyway that's my story doctors do not inform you of the worst, give at least an educated guess bearing in mind your fitness and general health, no just go for the knife. My hernia was not necessary I would not be like this if I did not have it done and the stupid thing is I DID NOT HAVE TO HAVE IT DONE. I live in hop it will subside, I spoke to the wife of a man who had the same surgeon do his some 4 weeks after and he is fine, no pain nothing was good after about a month, now would not know he had it done, why I ask, dont know I say. Might get another opinion if all is not good in the next 6 weeks on continual pain, then maybe think about a lawyer. Good luck to all.
I had open inguinal surgery on the RIGHT side of my groin in 1997 using mesh and since then my life has been hell and i have been fobbed off with the old IBS diagnosis. I suffer from an empty hollow hungry sick feeling in the mornings and random nausea, vomiting, fever,sweating,bowel cramps,burning sensations,numb feelings,sometimes my scrotum contracts and shrinks so tight it can be painful,constipation,shooting pains,swelling,trapped wind,heartburn and just a general horrible feeling that never goes away even on good days, iv tried changing my diet, sleep, work exercise and iv got nowhere, sometimes i dont realise how much its affecting me until i have a good/bad day and im tired of excuses, if the internet and you people wasnt here the doctors who examined me would have me believe that hernia operations are completely safe,routine and have a 99.9%success rate. lies.
I had hernia surgery @2003 and also noticed problems ejaculating which contributed to my marriage ending. The testicular pain on the right side comes and goes but wearing whitey tighties helps, especially at bedtime. I know this will probably sound like new age nonsense, but I researched non medical treatment for a gallbladder polyup I have(no money yet for surgery) and found a dietary supplement called Indian Herb MC X which can be taken internally with food and directly applied to growths in order to shrink them. I've only started using it for a few weeks and have began using the drops on areas of my right testical. I've noticed a tingling sensation coming from the inside of the testical and for the first time since before my hernia surgery I got an erection after kissing my lady friend. It could all be in my mind but there seems to be a difference. I also suffer from migraines and notice that when the headache is behind the right eye the right testicle is more sensitive and painful. The herbal drops seem to stir things up and I don't apply them before work as it increases sensitivity. I use it at night when I'm on the recliner and it provides some relief. I've only used a quarter of the bottle so far and wonder what the long term effect will be. Call me crazy but something is going on down there that didn't before.
I am in the same position as you! It's nice to know it's not only me or that I'm imagining or going crazy or have a low tolerance for pain!!! I have given birth to six children (twins) and delivered every which way and cannot compare any of those births with what I deal with painwise on a daily basis. I is just a year now since my surgery and per my doctor can hurt for up to a year so have my fingers (and toes) crossed that it will ease up. Do not wan to live the rest of my life in pain or on pain medication!
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Urology Community
Discharge often isn't normal, and could mean an infection or an STD.
Dr. Jose Gonzalez-Garcia provides insight to the most commonly asked question about the transfer of HIV between partners.
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
