inguinal hernia - risks

I'm not a doctor, but that doesn't sound like strangulation to me. My understanding is that when a hernia becomes strangulated, it cannot be pushed back in. Moreover, the pain does not subside but continues. It is a medical emergency.

A hernia that can be pushed back in is said to be reducible. It causes no permanent damage to your intenstines, and many people live with them for several years, decades even, without surgery. The choice of whether to have surgery or not really depends on how much having the hernia limits your daily activities, through discomfort, pain or preventing you doing things you'd like to do.

You can also experiment with different support garments to see whether they help to prevent the hernia coming out and causing discomfort. They can be a bit of a faff to put on but a flat pad support has really helped me to manage the symptoms and get on with what I want to do without bothering too much about the hernia.

Hope this helps!

Hi John.

 I've no idea if you had strangulation of your intestines, but, somehow, i doubt it. Your GP should be able to reassure you on that one.

In my own personal opinion, it's best to get this op as soon as possible, get it over with, recover, and then get on with your life (carefully).

I've copied and pasted a previous reply  i posted on here....hope it helps.

Callum.

I can add my tuppence worth, and hope it helps.

I have had two Inguinal Hernia ops, one on the left groin and one on the right, which was done last February. Both were open incision, the left scar is  about 5 inches long, and the right about 3.5 inches.

I can give you good, honest, hard-won advice, as i think there is a lot of unrealistic nonsense written about hernia ops, and recoverey, on the internet and elsewhere.

The first thing you have to remember is that someone has sliced you open, rearranged and repaired your abdominal wall, and then closed you back up again.

So, there is going to be quite a bit of pain, stiffness, and discomfort for the first week or two, but it does get better gradually after that....it is a healing process!

The second thing to learn is, taking into account my first point, is not to expect too much!

Some people seem to think you can start taking long walks, running, cycling, weights, and other silly things immediately after a hernia op. Trust me, that is not a good idea.....you are nowhere near fit for that!

You  will also have  a hard,, long,, ridge of scar tissue for probably three months after the op, which can be sore, itchy, and uncomfortable, especially if you overdo it.

It's best to take it very easy immediately after an ingunal hernia op, and very gradually, and carefully, ease yourself back into your normal routine, and a bit bof walking when your body feels like it. They say to listen to your body, and i reckon that is sound advice.

I started taking long walks five or six weeks after my last op, and ended up in quite some pain, which took nearly two weeks to subside, and left me quite worried, so be careful.

As for work; i have a manual job, and my surgeon and GPs advice was to take three months off; which is what i did both times, and i reckon if you are going to manual work which involves lifting, pushing, pulling etc, you definitely need that three months, otherwise you run the real risk of tearing the repair...i personally know three guys who did exactly that, and they all said it was worse the second time round.

However, in office jobs etc, people can go back to work fairly soon.

The last thing i would say is, that in my own personal opinion,procedures like this leave a weakness in your body at the op site, even when well done. I do most things i was doing before, but at work two years ago, i caused some damage to my first repair through lifting stuff up onto my shoulder, and i have been left with some lasting pain, and definately weaker there...so be aware, and be careful.

I hope i don't cause you any worries, but i believe in saying it as it is.

Cheers, Callum. 0  Report this

John, It doesn't sound like you have a strangulated hernia, but I think what you're describing is pretty typical of an inguinal hernia. You can probably go for a few years if you'd like, but keep in mind they don't heal by themselves,and over time it will probably get bigger inside you, and you'll still be able go about life pretty normally. If you get a truss It'll keep the hernia pushed in and prevent it from getting bigger. I never did use a truss, and had my hernia for 12 years before getting it fixed. After a while, it won't stay in and you'll feel some pain when you've been on your feet for a while. Also, strangulation isn't the only complication that can occur. For me, after 11 years the hernia tear had gotten so big, my bladder slid through it also. Although bladder sliders are kind of rare, (from what I understand) but they do sometimes happen. I think when they get so big, notonly are they harder for surgeons to fix, but the bigger scar (the one left inside) can also pose some problems. For me the inside scar, wrapped anound a nerve to my leg. causing me to have to get a nerve block every 9 months. Since getting that inguinal hernia fixed, I also got an umbilical hernia. I had it fixed a month after I got it because if I learned anything after having the first one, there's no real benefits in waiting. I'm told It takes about 6 months for the mesh to fully grow in (where you can forget about it) but keeping that in mind, you'll be able  to do most anything after about 3. Good luck with it.