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Divarification of the Recti

Posted , 4 users are following.

cindy69729
cindy69729

I was diagnosed with this after investigations into IBS. My syomach was swelling with gas to the size of late pregnancy.As I did not have cancer only Diverticlitis the surgeon was uninterested & gave me a selection of diets. It got wors & eventually caused 'Divarification of the Recti. I now havw a lump the size of a baby's head!! which get wors with wind or constipation. when I saw the consultant again he said they did not do this repsir on the NHS. I am 66 and am totally embarassed by my deformed abdomen The rest of me is pretty slim. I look hideous and have gripping pain when faecal waste or wind passes thru. My surgeon will not touch it - is there a surgeon out there who will? if it twist or is injured they will do a repair as an emergency. It will get bigger as more of my intestines push thru... Any advice will be welcome as I now have to search for a private surgeon who will tackle it.

1 like, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • elizabeth186
    elizabeth186 cindy69729

    Posted

    That's awful. You sometimes wonder how surgeons would like to live with huge bumps etc. Im sure they would not be long in getting surgery themselves
  • shirley133
    shirley133 cindy69729

    Posted

    Hi Cindy if you want to go private try Mr Andrew De beaux in Edinburgh, he is wonderful and repaired my incisional hernia for me last year and did abdominoplasty at the same time.  We staryed in Edinburgh for a while after the op at his advice.  He is part of a group of surgeons known as hernia surgeons Scotland and you can find him on the internet, I contacted him by email got a referral from my gp and took it from there.  He is chair of the british and european hernia society.  About me I am 69 years old had 3 children by c section, my bowel perforated due to adhesions from my c section, had emergency surgery, bowel recsection to save my life, this resulted in an incisional hernia, did my research to fine the best surgeon I could, as the hernia repair is the 5th abdominal op I have had.  Am also slim size 8 and hernias do look massive on petite people. Do give him a try he can only say yes or no.  Email him he will reply. 

     

    • cindy69729
      cindy69729 shirley133

      Posted

      Thank you so much for taking the time to send me this information - could you tell me how much you paid? I know mine may be more but at least it will give me an idea. I must have it done I feel so ugly - skinny arms & legs & a huge abdomen. When I see my reflexion in a wind or mirror I cannot beleive it is me. It is getting worse & bigger, rediculous.
    • AttyBand
      AttyBand shirley133

      Posted

      You're a luck girl.  Man, it sounds like you've been through the wringer.  I wish I was in England rather than New Orleans, Louisiana where they have good doctors but I'm getting conflicting estimates of the risk involved in such a repair.  I likewise have found a guy who claims to be president of the "New Orleans Hernia Institute" and also does bariatric/weight loss surgery and he tell me I really don't have a choice that that my incisional herina will only get worse - which the original surgeon who saves my life from a perforated divertilis with an ostomy for six months  until a reversal with biologic mesh that subsequently got infected and had to be removed, thus leaving me with a herina that sticks out about four inches - says that a repair will be a risky seven hour procedure with lots of adhesions to lyse.  

        Having almost died once, I'm really just afraid to go through any more operations that aren't necessary.

         What should I do.

    • cindy69729
      cindy69729 AttyBand

      Posted

      Good lord, You have had enough of hospitals! It must be such a big decision to go under the knife again. The problem is there are no guarantees with surgeons - they all tell you they are best of the best in their field.... I have had two new knees one is good one is poor, I will get some consultations. My original surgeon said he would not touch it! I don't kinow what to do, all I know is I have a small childs head sticking out of my abdomen. My family refer to it as 'my alien baby'!! 

      What price vanity?

  • shirley133
    shirley133 cindy69729

    Posted

    HI Attyband and Cindy,  good lord Attyband you have been through hell on earth,  I did not take my decsion to get my hernia repaired lightly and was also given conflicting advise by different surgeons, some said dont do it and some said do it. It was my 5th major abdominal op.  My hernia is repaired and my stomache looks much better these are the benefits and Of course am still alive.  On the downside approx 72 sq inches of mesh is not always easy to live with.  To Cindy I managed to get mine on the NHS, but Mr De Beaux as of last september charges a flat rate of £10000 for hernia repair.  I suffered no complications from the surgery no infections or any other complication, and he told me he does not kill people, unfortunately some surgeons do, I did the research.  He vounteered this info.  I think when injuries such as hernia have been caused by surgeons the NHS should stand the cost of repair, and from what I have read hernias are the result of poor wound closure by surgeons, they need to get it right in the first place to avoid all this horrendous suffering we have all been put through.
    • cindy69729
      cindy69729 shirley133

      Posted

      Quite right if it was caused by NHS they should pay to put it right. I can't afford £10k but I know it will get worse & eventually more of my guts will try to escape thru the gap. Maybe I can get a loan. I will contact your surgeon.
  • shirley133
    shirley133 cindy69729

    Posted

    Hi Cindy sent you a reply with contact details it has gone to moderation but the info is freely available on the internet
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