adhesion pain?

[nikki1842]

Hi!  I am a 31 year old woman...almost 3 years ago on my 29th birthday I had a radical hysterectomy and staging.  The surgery did not go well and I developed pancreantitis, kidney failure, pneumonia, lost half of my blood volume...to name a few.  I was discharged in kidney failure and pancreantits and was not aware of it...I returned to my local hospital where I was diagnosed and stayed a week, then transported back to the original hospital where I stayed on and off for about a month and a half.  I still have the kidney failure and have had numerous surgeries since.  I herniated my incision while in the hospital.  So I now have no abdominal wall left and just mesh, after two hernia operations.  I have mesh from under my rib cage the entire way down and the whole way across.  My stomach has now herniated the mesh and in a CT scan my bowel is herniated, not strangulated though.  They said because it goes back in.  I am in constant pain and my doctors here act like I shouldn't be.  I don't understand it...When you have nothing holding any of your organs back how could it not be painful.  I feel like there are hands made of needles pinching my insides....and that is the mild part of the pain...the pain can be so intense that I double over....please help....is this scar tissue...chronic pain...I just want answers...after all of this, I just want to know what I can do to feel better!  One positive is that I am cancer free...I had ovarian cancer.  Any input would be helpful...and if I didn't give enough info please ask.  Thanks!

[nikki1842]

Thank you so much for responding to me!  I had an incision from my radical hysterectomy and staging that went from 6 inches above my belly button the entire way to my pelvic bone.  The throwing up from being so sick from the pancreantitis caused my incision to herniate.  So I originally had an incisional hernia.  They tried to repair the lower half of my stomach (from the belly button down to below the pelvic bone...they actually had to tack the bone because of nothing to work with) they used 2 x2 of mesh...I then herniated from the belly button to up under my rib cage they used another piece of 2x2 mesh...well they herniated again...and now it is involving the bowel...I was told that I have no abdominal wall left at all to work with and they would not be able to do another laproscopic surgery....this time they would have to cut me open in a T.  the docs here don't think it would be painful...so no medication at all for any of this.  I am in constant pain, working full time, and a wife and mother...just not sure how to juggle all of this...and have a very hard time thinking that this is the best that I can feel at 31

[nurseaudrea]

I am curious why you had to have the mesh? Was it due to the car accident? I never knew you had that? I can't believe that happened to you. How horrible that must feel. I am so sorry.I know about the other medical conditions you have talked about and if it is too personal I understand. I was just curious as it is extremely rare, as you stated above, to have such a radical surgery as you did, unless it involved some major traumatic event to hold your organs in, or together, because something else failed. You know how the mind of a medical professional works. It never stops when something gets it going. You just have to know the answer or it keeps going in circles to try to figure it out. Hmm, all the possibilities. Lol.

[Tuckamore]

Hello Nikki,

Welcome to our Pain Management Community. Oh my dear you have had such trauma for someone so young. My heart goes out to you.

I didn't think I would hear of someone else that had failed major mesh hernia repair issues. What type of hernia did you have? I need to tell you a bit about my condition in order to respond to your question.

I had a Lumbar Hernia repair when I just a few years older then you. I am only one in three hundred in the world to have this condition, it's that rare. So I assume yours is not a lumbar hernia. The mesh was implanted horizontally from abd mid-line to inches from my spine and vertically from below just my ribs to just below my the pelvic cavity. This mesh has failed and the pain is unbelievable. Like you I have nothing to support my organs.  

I have had several surgical consults and am sadly unrepairable. Two of my states leading & published surgeons believe that the adhesions and failing mesh has entrapped nerves which is causing a burning, searing pain. I am guessing my mesh and area is much larger then yours but I would also think that the same could be true for you.  In my case there is nothing that can be done but in yours there should be a solution.

"Regular" CTs do not reveal adhesions or mesh. There is a very expensive new imaging that can view both. I hope you have had this imaging done.

I would keep searching until you found answers that you are comfortable with. If you have not consulted a surgeon in a large teaching facility I would do so. Please let us know how you are doing. I'll very much be interested in hearing from you soon.

Best of Luck,
~Tuck