Removal of mesh after inguinal hernia repair.

I can totally relate to you. I did not feel confident getting the repair with mesh by the surgeon who did it. I trusted him because he saved my life with my emergency colon resection. I also considered my families opinions and went ahead. I did want to get another opinion, but did not and now am paying the price. I over did things at Christmas also and the pain has been horrendous. Don't give up. I know the thought of another surgery is a nightmare, but you may get good results. Do your research and trust your instincts. I wish I had.

 

Hi Barry,I am so sorry to hear about your story but your not alone.When was your last operation,mesh removal?

Barry, sorry to hear you are still in pain after mesh removal, so am I. We need to stay positive it will improve.

It has improved a lot! I can get in the pool and swim 40 lengths on my back and also have managed to get back to work as a full time entertainer. Everything has come with modification in lifestyle and primarily that is in nutrition/hydration.

I focus on what I can do, not what I cant! Prior to having the first surgery I was preparing to swim the English Channel. Im now just happy to swim an adapted inverted breatstroke so that I can get circulation stimulated. I know what I can eat and what is going to cause inflamation. This is something we can all take control of. Its one step at a time, but its a HUGE step. 

We all want hope, but what Im trying to get across is how to help yourself.  The nerves need to repair and heal, and that takes time and patience. I went through the junk food phase and probably drank more than I should have done. I was never a big drinker, but a couple of glasses of red wine or a couple of beers became the norm for me. Its baby steps, but it works. The pain is part of my life, I dont like it but thats just a fact.

Your doctor is going to prescribe you opiods or neuropathic pain medications, but long term they are not going to help, and to be honest most general doctors do not have a clue about pain management. Even those who are pain specialists typically go the pharmaceutical route. Once again, its about taking control, and food is a chemical. Use these chemicals to help you.

Yes, use your doctor to get you through the initial stages with pain meds so that the pain does not become chronic, but also remember neuropathaic pain can last for a long time, especially when dealing with mesh problems.

Sept 4th 2008. to remove the tacker drilled into my bone. It was supposed to be a 25/35 min surgery but ended up taking 3 hours.

 

Hello Steve, do not stress, you should be fine in the hands of a good surgeon. I have been very unlucky. Three ops on the same side for the hernia. I have been having a few more ggod days thann bad of late, but the discomfort in this heat not helping. 

I am hoping now the mesh is out and triple neurectomy it will eventually improve. A good surgeon does not rely on mesh as routine if it is not absolutely required,

Hi I had 2 umbilical hernia meshes removed in the last couple of weeks. They are in for the past few years and last year became infected, for the past 7 months in and out of hospital and dr surgeries on antibiotics even had a vac pump dressing attached no joy, they had to come out is a lot of pain because of length of time the meshes were in the muscle had grown into and around them so some muscle was removed also .im looking for other people's experience and returning to work ( butcher) did any take up and legal advice

Under pressure

Glendo

Best wishes.

Thanks, I'm a little concerned that he is using mesh again, tried to look up Victoria mesh and could find too much about it. Has anyone here been involved in a suit regarding hernia mesh repairs?

How did your surgery go?

Hi Amy

Just caught the interesting 'stabbing' pain. I have been suffering from what can only be described as the worst stabbing, grabbing pain. It was so bad this week I had to be admitted, morphine the lot.

Just wondering if you can elaborate a litte more in your symptoms please? This has been going on for months and I've been told there is nothing more to be Br done except a pain clinic.

Best Wishes

Just wondering did you have inguinal hernia repair with mesh?

Hi Adele

Hope you're well. Oh my I can't remember where I left off my tale!?

You too. Did you have mesh repair or removal? I am still dealing with the consequences of a mesh repair mess plus two more surgeries to remove the mesh, triple neurectomy and groin reconstruction.

 

Hi guys is their anyone on this post from Ireland or uk

I have searched on the net about hernia repairs and mesh removals but it's showing American claims.

I have had both meshes out due to been infected how they became infected is unknown, I'm 3 weeks over it still very very sore as some muscle had to be removed also

I'm looking for info or anyone that had this kind of op done

And is their any legal action been taking

I'm self employed,out of work now (butchers) work on my own and I have been told by the surgeons that it will be 6 months before I can get back to lifting normal and even with this length of time it will be restricted in weights

Surgery went fine. It was out patient, I went in at 10am left at 4pm.  Probably should have stayed over night, I was a bit wobbly after.  

I was surprised by the amount of pain since this was done with three keyholes.  The surgeon said the pain was normal as he had to work through so much scar tissue.

 I am one month post and just have slight pain while sleeping.  The stabbing pain has disappeared, or maybe all the nerves were sliced? I don't know but I'm very happy to be done with that.  

I had the stabbing pain for 6-7 years.  Not constant, just if I turned the wrong way, probably about five times a day.  It really would take me by surprise and I'd gasp scaring anyone around me. Seems to be gone for now. 

Ed, my son is going through the same thing. He's already given up on the pain clinic though. They give you a bunch of heavy-duty drugs to make you forget your pain; and then you'll just be stacking more problems on top of what you already have. My son stopped going when the drugs eventually gave him horrible migranes and lots of other nasty side effects. The pills are OK for a short period of time, but you'll need to decide if you want to live your life in a drug induced state for the rest of your life. 

Hi all, I've been following this site with interest for some time and finally had mesh removed 10 weeks ago by the same consultant as Adam , a Professor Aali Sheen and great surgeon based in Manchester. I had two horrific years of debilitating pain radiating from my groin, around my whole right side, even on bones and around hip and back since having mesh placed. I had several uneccesary ops before sourcing Prof Sheen, the surgeon who placed the mesh refusing to acknowledge it was ever a problem, even though it was pain I never had until its placement. Since removal I still have some ongoing issues with nerve and lack of support given the original surgeon also cut a ligament but the immediate relief I have finally achieved from the pain has been immense. It's been an horrific journey and I still have some way to go with recovery and improvement, my heart goes out to those continuing to suffer. Glendo, I don't know if anyone in the U.K. is intending to take any legal action and I don't understand how the U.S. interacts if at all, but I'm aware there is company called Hollis Law firm in Kansas America who has a wealth of information regarding mesh and its issues on their web site which may be of some interest including parietex by Covidien which is what I had placed ,

Hi Shar

I'm going down the legal route also in ireland like you I cannot see how America do all recall etc and europe do not.

I had 2 meshes implanted with out any issue one 8 years ago and another 4 years ago

All going great until last october when they became infected don't know how or why as I didn't show any symptoms up to this,

It has ruined my life so far with sickness, vac pump surgery, and eventually removal I also had to get muscle removed with the meshes.

I have to now close up my business as I cannot work at this any more I am a butcher work for myself only out on my own in the past 2.5 years. Went to get social and I was told entitled to nothing.

So from a simple umbilical hernia mesh repairs, to now where my whole world is upside down and not sure where to go next I took the decision to go legal. Fingers crossed I need some good luck

Hi - how was the infection diagnosed?  Was there a lab test, etc.?

 

Hi man on Yes there was a swelling around my stomach and I was abmitted to hospital and put on I've antibiotics.

For 5 months this was coming and going with been admitted to hospital on 3 occasions,

They tried a vac pump dressing to see if this would clear it up but no joy. So final straw was to remove mesh thank god no sign of infection back going into 7th week now but I still have stitches in

Don't know much more than that

A lot of lab test done and sent away

Hi Glendo, I'm sorry to hear you have had such bad luck and lost your business. You've had a dreadful journey and your world turned upside down, but how strange that you had some good years prior to what seems quite a late infection . I never had infection identified, although I had 7 lots of antibiotics, all starting with pain and a reactive lymph node less than 7 weeks after surgery, which would imply original infection as the antibiotics initially intermittently resolved it.  I could hardly walk or sleep due to pain and permanent nausea,  even morphine didn't help.The lymph node was still reacting 10 months later when it was removed. The mesh apparently shrinks( as confirmed on the makers website up to 29.5%)  and seems it was dragging my insides and fascia with it.  When the mesh was removed it was also stuck to my psoas muscle and the surgeon had to scrape it off the muscle, a hip flexor needed for walking , it took him two and a half hours just to remove mesh and a further hour for removal of tacks which was fastening it to my bone. It is a foreign body and some surgeons unfortunately too keen to use it. I apparently didn't need the procedure I had and nor was it discussed prior!  I have been horrified at the sheer volume of sufferers on line, whose lives have been ruined all due to the consequences of having mesh placed and yet it's not high profile in the UK.  I wish you the very best of luck in your case and hopefully you will succeed in recovering some quality of life back.

Hi Manon, can I ask if you are the same person who posted on Craig Wights Stray goat page? If so then you and I have had the same procedure. My mesh was well and truly stuck to my psoas muscle and had to be scraped off. My hip and pelvic pain caused by my peritoneum and fascia attached to the mesh, trying to pull my intestines and fascia off their natural anchorage. Horrific, particularly trying to walk.  I had 7 surgeries under the surgeon who placed the mesh, who would never acknowledge the mesh was the issue. His fixes did not work. 

Apologies Manon, I have you confused with another person on the Straygoat website. I see your sister has unfortunately had the mesh problem. I agree with Adele it could be nerve , maybe trapped in scar tissue formed before and after the mesh removal. I've had two nerves cut, but a nerve which is not usually cut ( lateral cutaneous)  generated dreadful pain around outer groin, into hip bone, round flank and into back prior to the mesh removal and continues intermittently, the same nerve has made my upper thigh numb since removal, although I do get short spells of some sensation returning, including aching pain suggesting it's trapped rather than damaged (  possibly linked to the psoas muscle which it sources from)  I am stretching the scar tissue as best I can and there has been some  improvement, baby steps,  but will consider a nerve block if it doesn't resolve soon . I do hope your poor sister can finally get some respite from her suffering

Did any of the lab tests show anything? Anything positive for something?

Yea had positive not sure what do

One said it was like mrsa but it wasn't so not sure what it was

Thanks shar

I hope to get something good from all this and hope you have the same I will keep you posted and my progress something needs to be done how can so many be people infected and affected by this whole thing and not one word in europe strange

Thank you Glendo and yes please keep me informed of your progress. You are right something needs to be addressed as it not right so many people are suffering without answers. I believe there are too many surgeons placing it for ease but don't know what to do when it goes wrong, so pretend it isn't an issue. I've been very lucky to find a fantastic UK surgeon prepared to remove it because of pain. There are some European guidelines which state that mesh should be removed for chronic pain, but it's all very low key. I believe there is a group of women who have had similar problems with TVT mesh and have recently been in the main news. I have some decisions to make about where to take mine, but I agree there needs to be much more awareness.