Open incisional hernis - recovery time

hi josielow

Sorry but I have no knowledge of this only Hiatus Hernia which is a different part of the body.

Sorry I could not be of help.

kind regards

Jazztrain

I am 6 days on from similar surgery - open inguinal without mesh. I felt wonderful immediately after, and have been walking around, up and down stairs etc from the beginning. No problem driving now. But tired also and need lots of rest. Sore and swollen, but not terribly painful. Beware of constipation after, caused by the anaesthetic and associated medication. I had lactulose in the house ready, recommended by Sainsbury pharmacist. Its early days yet, and there is so much conflicting advice. Can't advise, just report so far.

Hi I am waiting for a third operation to try mend my incisional hernia that is getting larger and larger with each operation an each week as time goes by. 

My previous operations were in July 2013 and OCtober 2014.

your hospital stay after the operation unlikely to be less than 48 hours and could be 9 or 11 days like mine. If you have infection or are obese like me the consequences are that your wound will have deficiency ( open up ) after ther take the staples that hold the wound together the community nurse takes the clips out about 24 hours after you come home you will have community nursing at home for some time between a week and 10 days and dressing changes for 3 to 6 weeks at your local surgery if you need it. The total recovery period was approx 2 months but if you make good progress it could be less. Complications to your surgery include both infection involving many doses of antibiotics, allergy and reactions to medications  and dressings and intravenous drips (tegaderm in my case) post surgical thrombosis/clot which is treated by heparin and warfarin.

my advice to you is try and lose weight to help the operation and having received your surgery expect pain from adhesions and a slow recovery do nut rush any thing I tried to do do too much to quickly do not lift things.

trevor

Hii   

I did not have incisional surgery   mine was laporscopic 5 ports of entry and it is less painful for recovery is what the dr. said.  He also cleaned up scar tissue from my gall bladder surgery some 30 years ago.  He did say there was not much scar tissue at all.  No mesh was used either...I am almost 7 weeks post op and are finally feeling myself again....it was the chest pain that was uncomfortable but it too is leaving.  The body takes time to heal be patient and it will all happen for the best.  Just think no more acid reflux.....

Hi Josie

I'm going in Friday for my incisional repair (same as you from gallbladder op) I'm having a mesh. You should stay in over a week. Don't know where that came from! Should be able to go home sane day, or day after. My friend had this op and went hone morning after and back at work after 3 weeks off. Sonetimes things go a bit wrong with hernias and people stay in longer (infections or build up of fluid but fingers crossed that wont happen to us!)

Good luck

Amanda

I am now two and a half weeks from my open inguinal without mesh, and haven't looked back. Balloon-like stomach disappeared. Pain relief not needed. No restriction of movement noticed. At 2 weeks tried a 5 mile country walk, which turned into 7. That was too soon as the local swelling to the wound rubbed and could have caused damage. That scared me a bit! Wound almost healed now, but still scabs on it, so being a bit more careful, until completely healed. Just take care, be patient.

Hi,

I have a reoccurrent hernia that needs complex repair. It started out with a laproscopic belly button incision herniating after my gall bladder was removed several years ago.

I had a open repair, with mesh, one year later. It came back. For along time my surgeon told me it would pose no problem, that there was only "fatty tissue" coming through it. I finally insisted that we do some imaging and we then discovered there was indeed loops of small bowel actually coming through. I am able to retract it but it causes me alot of pain. I am currently trying to lose 20 lbs and then I will have surgery.

I am told they will give me a bikini cut, and remove some fatty tissue, then weave mesh and stitching into the abdominal wall components. I will have 3 drains for about 2 weeks and be in the hospital 3 days. Recovery time is supposed to be about 2 months.

Has anyone out there had a procedure like this?

Hi,

I have a reoccurrent hernia that needs complex repair. It started out with a laproscopic belly button incision herniating after my gall bladder was removed several years ago.

I had a open repair, with mesh, one year later. It came back. For along time my surgeon told me it would pose no problem, that there was only "fatty tissue" coming through it. I finally insisted that we do some imaging and we then discovered there was indeed loops of small bowel actually coming through. I am able to retract it but it causes me alot of pain. I am currently trying to lose 20 lbs and then I will have surgery again.

All this to say, please do not over do it. Especially activities that involve stronger use of your abdominal muscles. Doctors in general, are pretty conservative with their advice on most things, not so in this case.